Rumors "greatly exaggerated": ByteDance admits dismissal after AI sabotage

The Chinese company ByteDance has confirmed the dismissal of a trainee in response to rumors on social media. The person concerned had manipulated the AI training for a research project with malicious intent, the company announced. The central AI models of the TikTok Group were not affected. However, claims circulating on Chinese social networks that more than 8,000 graphics cards were affected and that the damage amounted to several million US dollars were "greatly exaggerated". The dismissal took place in August and the relevant industry association, the school authorities and the trainee's university were informed.

Another team sabotaged

According to the South China Morning Post, the statement was preceded by rumors that the unnamed person had deliberately sabotaged the AI training out of dissatisfaction with the working conditions. The trainee was part of a team responsible for the development of advertising technology. The interference took place in the AI technology of another team in the same department. According to ByteDance, the false information about the damage was probably also due to the intern's profiles on social networks, which contained false information. ByteDance published the statement on its own news app Toutiao. The exact extent of the damage remains unclear.

ByteDance is primarily known in this country for TikTok, but operates a whole range of internet services. Just a few days ago, the company announced its intention to increasingly rely on AI technology for content moderation in the future. Several hundred employees have lost their jobs as a result. Even though TikTok now intends to rely more heavily on AI technology, it would not completely do away with human moderation.

(mho)