China is looking to challenge the U.S. in artificial intelligence. China’s tech giants have launched their own AI models.
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Global attention around generative artificial intelligence has been focused on big U.S. companies like OpenAI, Alphabet‘s Google and Meta.
But some of China’s giants, from Alibaba to Tencent, have launched their own AI models over the past 18 months, looking to capitalize on the hype around the technology.
Generative AI includes applications like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which has the ability to generate text, images and even video based on user prompts. These applications are powered by large AI models which are trained on huge amounts of data, such as Google’s Gemini.
Chinese technology firms have had to tread carefully in releasing their technology as Beijing has strict requirements for AI models and their uses.
CNBC runs through the big Chinese AI models developed by the country’s biggest tech firms.
Baidu: ERNIE
Baidu, one of China’s biggest internet companies, was among the first in the country to launch generative AI applications. Its model powers Ernie Bot, an AI chatbot designed to rival OpenAI’s ChatGPT and which the Chinese company says has 300 million users.
Before the “Turbo” version of the model, Baidu said that its latest version — Ernie 4.0 — has capabilities on par with OpenAI’s GPT-4. The foundational model can understand and reason, according to Baidu.
Like other companies, Baidu is selling the ability to use its AI model via its cloud computing division.
Alibaba: Tongyi Qianwen
Alibaba launched its set of foundational models, Tongyi Qianwen, last year. Often shortened to Qwen, Alibaba has developed various versions that can carry out different tasks. For example, one model is focused on creating content or solving math problems. Another can understand audio-based inputs and give text-based outputs.
Some versions of its Qwen models are open-sourced, meaning they can be openly downloaded, with some limitations, and used by developers.
Alibaba said in May its Qwen models have been deployed by over 90,000 enterprise users.
Companies can access Hunyuan’s capabilities via Tencent’s cloud computing business. Tencent has said Hunyuan has strong Chinese language processing abilities and “advanced” logical reasoning. The model can support functions including image creation and text recognition.
Tencent has positioned the model as one that can be used by companies in industries from gaming to social media and e-commerce.
Tencent runs China’s biggest messaging app, WeChat. The company this year launched an AI chatbot based on its Hunyuan model. The AI assistant, known as Yuanbao, can pull information and content from WeChat, as Tencent looks to differentiate its offering from rivals.
Huawei: Pangu
Huawei has taken a slightly different approach to rivals with its Pangu AI models. It has created a number of AI models aimed at customers in specific industries including government, finance, manufacturing, mining, and meteorology.
For example, Huawei said its Pangu Meteorology Model can predict the trajectory of a typhoon over 10 days in around 10 seconds, rather than the four-to-five hours it took previously.
These models, sold through the firm’s cloud computing business, can also support generative features such as the ability to generate code and virtual human avatars.
ByteDance: Doubao
TikTok owner ByteDance launched an AI model this year, marking a late entrance into the race against competitors like Baidu and Alibaba.
ByteDance, however, brought out its AI model at a price much cheaper than the other companies.
The Doubao model has the ability to generate voices as well as generate code for developers, among other capabilities.
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Google on Friday made the latest a splash in the AI talent wars, announcing an agreement to bring in Varun Mohan, co-founder and CEO of artificial intelligence coding startup Windsurf.
As part of the deal, Google will also hire other senior Windsurf research and development employees. Google is not investing in Windsurf, but the search giant will take a nonexclusive license to certain Windsurf technology, according to a person familiar with the matter. Windsurf remains free to license its technology to others.
“We’re excited to welcome some top AI coding talent from Windsurf’s team to Google DeepMind to advance our work in agentic coding,” a Google spokesperson wrote in an email. “We’re excited to continue bringing the benefits of Gemini to software developers everywhere.”
The deal between Google and Windsurf comes after the AI coding startup had been in talks with OpenAI for a $3 billion acquisition deal, CNBC reported in April. OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The move ratchets up the talent war in AI particularly among prominent companies. Meta has made lucrative job offers to several employees at OpenAI in recent weeks. Most notably, the Facebook parent added Scale AI founder Alexandr Wang to lead its AI strategy as part of a $14.3 billion investment into his startup.
Douglas Chen, another Windsurf co-founder, will be among those joining Google in the deal, Jeff Wang, the startup’s new interim CEO and its head of business for the past two years, wrote in a post on X.
“Most of Windsurf’s world-class team will continue to build the Windsurf product with the goal of maximizing its impact in the enterprise,” Wang wrote.
Windsurf has become more popular this year as an option for so-called vibe coding, which is the process of using new age AI tools to write code. Developers and non-developers have embraced the concept, leading to more revenue for Windsurf and competitors, such as Cursor, which OpenAI also looked at buying. All the interest has led investors to assign higher valuations to the startups.
This isn’t the first time Google has hired select people out of a startup. It did the same with Character.AI last summer. Amazon and Microsoft have also absorbed AI talent in this fashion, with the Adept and Inflection deals, respectively.
Microsoft is pushing an agent mode in its Visual Studio Code editor for vibe coding. In April, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said AI is composing as much of 30% of his company’s code.
The Verge reported the Google-Windsurf deal earlier on Friday.
Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, holds a motherboard as he speaks during the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, on June 11, 2025.
The sale, which totals 225,000 shares, comes as part of Huang’s previously adopted plan in March to unload up to 6 million shares of Nvidia through the end of the year. He sold his first batch of stock from the agreement in June, equaling about $15 million.
Last year, the tech executive sold about $700 million worth of shares as part of a prearranged plan. Nvidia stock climbed about 1% Friday.
Huang’s net worth has skyrocketed as investors bet on Nvidia’s AI dominance and graphics processing units powering large language models.
The 62-year-old’s wealth has grown by more than a quarter, or about $29 billion, since the start of 2025 alone, based on Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index. His net worth last stood at $143 billion in the index, putting him neck-and-neck with Berkshire Hathaway‘s Warren Buffett at $144 billion.
Shortly after the market opened Friday, Fortune‘s analysis of net worth had Huang ahead of Buffett, with the Nvidia CEO at $143.7 billion and the Oracle of Omaha at $142.1 billion.
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The company has also achieved its own notable milestones this year, as it prospers off the AI boom.
On Wednesday, the Santa Clara, California-based chipmaker became the first company to top a $4 trillion market capitalization, beating out both Microsoft and Apple. The chipmaker closed above that milestone Thursday as CNBC reported that the technology titan met with President Donald Trump.
Brooke Seawell, venture partner at New Enterprise Associates, sold about $24 million worth of Nvidia shares, according to an SEC filing. Seawell has been on the company’s board since 1997, according to the company.
Huang still holds more than 858 million shares of Nvidia, both directly and indirectly, in different partnerships and trusts.
Elon Musk meets with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Blair House in Washington DC, USA on February 13, 2025.
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Tesla will open a showroom in Mumbai, India next week, marking the U.S. electric carmakers first official foray into the country.
The one and a half hour launch event for the Tesla “Experience Center” will take place on July 15 at the Maker Maxity Mall in Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai, according to an event invitation seen by CNBC.
Along with the showroom display, which will feature the company’s cars, Tesla is also likely to officially launch direct sales to Indian customers.
The automaker has had its eye on India for a while and now appears to have stepped up efforts to launch locally.
In April, Tesla boss Elon Musk spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss collaboration in areas including technology and innovation. That same month, the EV-maker’s finance chief said the company has been “very careful” in trying to figure out when to enter the market.
Tesla has no manufacturing operations in India, even though the country’s government is likely keen for the company to establish a factory. Instead the cars sold in India will need to be imported from Tesla’s other manufacturing locations in places like Shanghai, China, and Berlin, Germany.
As Tesla begins sales in India, it will come up against challenges from long-time Chinese rival BYD, as well as local player Tata Motors.
One potential challenge for Tesla comes by way of India’s import duties on electric vehicles, which stand at around 70%. India has tried to entice investment in the country by offering companies a reduced duty of 15% if they commit to invest $500 million and set up manufacturing locally.
HD Kumaraswamy, India’s minister for heavy industries, told reporters in June that Tesla is “not interested” in manufacturing in the country, according to a Reuters report.
Tesla is looking to recruit roles in Mumbai, job listings posted on LinkedIn . These include advisors working in showrooms, security, vehicle operators to collect data for its Autopilot feature and service technicians.
There are also roles being advertised in the Indian capital of New Delhi, including for store managers. It’s unclear if Tesla is planning to launch a showroom in the city.