TECH

ByteDance Unveils Doubao 2.0 AI Model to Tackle Complex Tasks

Published: Feb. 15, 2026 2:03 a.m. GMT+8

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ByteDance has released Doubao-Seed-2.0, a major upgrade to its foundational AI model. Photo: VCG

ByteDance Ltd. on Saturday released the latest version of its foundational artificial-intelligence model, stepping up efforts to support complex task execution and so-called agentic workflows across its vast user base.

The Beijing-based technology firm announced the launch of its Doubao-Seed-2.0 series on Feb. 14, saying the new architecture has been systematically optimized for large-scale production environments and shows improved performance in handling intricate, real-world assignments.

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ByteDance released Doubao-Seed-2.0, an advanced AI model optimized for complex, real-world tasks, on Feb. 14, 2025.
The company’s Seedance 2.0 video-generation model, praised by Elon Musk, and key hires such as ex-Google DeepMind VP Wu Yonghui, highlight intensified AI expansion.
Doubao led with 155 million weekly active users in December 2025 but dropped to third place in iOS free download charts during the Lunar New Year.

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Who’s Who

ByteDance Ltd.: ByteDance Ltd., a Beijing-based technology firm known as the parent company of TikTok, recently launched the Doubao-Seed-2.0 series of its foundational AI model on February 14. This upgraded model focuses on complex task execution and "agentic workflows." They also introduced a video-generation model, Seedance 2.0, gaining attention from Elon Musk. ByteDance is intensifying efforts in the AI market, evidenced by talent acquisition and the consolidation of AI research units.

Google: The provided article mentions **Google** as the former employer of Wu Yonghui, who was a vice president at Google DeepMind before being recruited by ByteDance in mid-February 2025 to lead its Seed foundational-research team.

Tencent Holdings Ltd.: Tencent Holdings Ltd. competes in the AI assistant market with its product, Yuanbao. As of early December 2025, Yuanbao had 20.8 million weekly active users, according to data from Quest Mobile. This places it behind market leaders like ByteDance's Doubao and DeepSeek.

Ant Group Co. Ltd.: Ant Group Co. Ltd. currently offers an AI assistant named Ant Afu. On February 14th, Ant Afu and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.'s AI assistant topped China's iOS free download charts, surpassing Doubao which ranked third.

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.: In February 2025, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.'s AI assistant briefly topped China's iOS free download charts, surpassing ByteDance's Doubao. This indicates its strong performance in user engagement during a competitive holiday period, aligning with its parent company's broader technological endeavors.

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What Happened When

Mid-February 2025：: ByteDance recruited Wu Yonghui, former VP at Google DeepMind, to lead its Seed foundational-research team and reorganized AI research units under unified management.

Early December 2025：: Doubao led the market with 155 million weekly active users, according to Quest Mobile.

Feb. 12, 2026：: ByteDance debuted Seedance 2.0, its video-generation model.

Feb. 14, 2026：: ByteDance announced the launch of its Doubao-Seed-2.0 series, coinciding with Ant Afu and Alibaba's AI assistants topping China's iOS free download charts and Doubao falling to third place.

AI generated, for reference only