Post by : Jyoti Gupta

BEIJING — Social media giant ByteDance has launched a new artificial intelligence (AI) assistant named Tanfan, designed to help users discover restaurants, read food reviews, and make bookings directly through the Douyin app — the Chinese version of TikTok.

The AI chatbot, whose name translates to “discover meals,” functions similarly to the popular platform Yelp. It uses ByteDance’s own large language model, Doubao, to provide users with quick summaries of food reviews and restaurant comparisons based on their preferences. As of Wednesday, Tanfan had already attracted over 35,000 users.

Accessible only via the Douyin app, Tanfan offers more than just restaurant suggestions. It allows users to watch food video blogs, compare different dining spots, and even order meals from select eateries. This integration blends Douyin’s video content with ByteDance’s growing interest in local services.

The release of Tanfan reflects a broader trend among China’s tech companies to integrate AI into daily consumer experiences. Companies such as JD.com and Alibaba have already expanded their offerings in the food, hotel, and on-demand delivery sectors, using AI to improve speed and user engagement.

Douyin began tapping into local services in 2018, enabling content creators to embed links to restaurants and shops. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it further expanded into hotel bookings and group meal delivery.

In the first eight months of 2024, Douyin’s local services arm generated 320 billion yuan (approximately USD 44.7 billion), surpassing its total 2023 earnings but falling short of its 600 billion yuan target for the same period.

The launch of Tanfan reinforces ByteDance’s commitment to using generative AI to build more intelligent, user-focused platforms, placing it at the forefront of China’s evolving digital economy.