TikTok is developing a new AI Chatbot called Genie

As the AI ​​race heats up, TikTok appears to be preparing to launch its AI chatbot for Western users, based on a recent US filing

According to Semafor, TikTok has sought to trademark the name “Genie” for its upcoming AI-powered chatbot, which would allow users to ask questions in-stream and receive instant responses, among other functions.

According to Semaphore:

“In May in the US, the viral video app filed to trademark the name “Genie” for an AI-powered chatbot software that will, among other functions, simulate conversations, facilitate interaction and communication between humans and AI, and produce human-like speech and text. .

So TikTok is looking to make it more of a hub for its AI functionalities, with the chatbot essentially connecting users to different elements of the app.

TikTok has actually been developing its AI chatbot for some time, with users in the Philippines by getting access to its chatbot tool “Tako” in May last year.

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Although Tako, according to TikTok, is only designed to guide users to other videos in the app, not to answer more complex questions.

TikTok’s next-gen chatbot would be a more powerful offering, integrating all of TikTok’s various AI elements into one stream.

Which would include that too generative AI research feature, which is now available on Douyin, the Chinese version of the app, and enables users to maximize discovery both inside and outside the app.

As reported by Panday (on December 23):

“The ‘AI Search’ function is located within the search interface of the Douyin app, alongside other search services such as products, group purchases, users and videos. Users only need to enter relevant questions or information into AI Search to receive answers generated by intelligent search technology.”

TikTok’s updated chatbot will apparently include this expanded search functionality, along with TikTok’s evolving AI features, which now also include the capacity to build your own virtual people that can stream live within the app.

Another element, as indicated by Semafor, could be TikTok’s StreamVoice system, which can simulate a person’s voice based on just a few words, while TikTok is also developing AI music generation processes and creating text on video means too, and all of these can apparently be integrated into an expanded chatbot offering, making it much easier for TikTok users to find these various functions.

So while Meta has pushed its AI-powered chatbot across all its apps, offering a new way to use its AI tools, TikTok would essentially follow the same plan, though I doubt TikTok’s tool would to focus more on functional discovery, and making it easier for users to access all of its various tools, as opposed to creating text summaries in response.

Because that functionality, on Facebook and IG, doesn’t really seem that valuable. I mean, sure, it’s amazing what the latest AI tools can produce, and it’s cool to be able to, say, generate a visual based on a text message on the air.

But really, how many people are tapping into Meta’s AI search prompts to get more information on a post in the app?

I suspect that TikTok will move in a slightly different direction, offering a more functional AI bot that will essentially incorporate all of its AI creation tools into one, making it easier to ‘tried them.

We may soon find out, with TikTok moving to activate its Genie bot.