Chinese companies are pumping money into artificial intelligence, hoping tools such as Baidu's Ernie Bot can rival the likes of OpenAI's ChatGPT. (Source photos by AP)

AI frenzy sweeps China as companies search for their own ChatGPT

Money is no object as investors big and small rush into chatbot technology

CISSY ZHOU, Nikkei staff writer

June 2, 2023 06:00 JST

HONG KONG -- In February, shortly after OpenAI's ChatGPT took the tech world by storm, a series of posts by high-profile Chinese entrepreneur Wang Huiwen went viral on social media.

"I am investing $50 million. Please team up with me to embrace the new era and create China's OpenAI. I currently do not understand AI technology but I am working hard to learn," Wang, the co-founder of food delivery platform Meituan, said in one of the posts.