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Douyin Chief Kelly Zhang Resigns for New ByteDance AI Role

Feb 7, 2024 1 min read

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Kelly Zhang Nan has stepped down as the CEO of Douyin, the Chinese counterpart of the popular app TikTok, to focus on other projects within the parent company ByteDance. Zhang's new focus will be on CapCut, a video-editing application, and furthering the company's ventures into artificial intelligence (AI). The announcement was made in an internal letter from ByteDance CEO Liang Rubo, who has recently emphasized the need for ByteDance to intensify its efforts in the competitive field of AI technology.

Zhang's departure marks a significant shift in leadership for ByteDance's operations in China, where she has played a pivotal role since joining the company in 2014. During her tenure, she was promoted to oversee the China business in 2020 and was instrumental in developing Douyin into a major platform for e-commerce and content. As Zhang transitions to her new role, Han Shangyou and Zhang Chao will now report to Zhang Lidong, the chairman of ByteDance's mainland China business.

The reshuffling at ByteDance comes amidst a broader call to action within the company to prevent complacency and to make up for lost ground in the AI sector, especially in the wake of the global impact made by OpenAI's ChatGPT. The strategic move indicates ByteDance's commitment to staying at the forefront of innovation in content creation and technology, exploring how generative AI can revolutionize the industry.

#tech #ai #business-leaders

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