Bytedance, owner of TikTok, has launched headphones boosted with artificial intelligence in China. For the moment, they are not sold in France.
Bytedance, the parent company of Tiktok, is diversifying in all directions. After having developed a virtual reality headset in 2024, and even a smart lamp to monitor children in 2021, the company is tackling headphones.
Indeed, according to the information relayed by the South China Morning Postthe owner of Tiktok launched its first headphones on October 10. These allow users to chat directly with Doubao, its ChatGPT-type chatbot service, without using their smartphone.
“An emotional gas station”
Called Ola Friend, these in-ear headphones are designed to serve as a travel guide, English teacher, DJ or even an “emotional gas station”, according to the site.
The headphones “boost you when your energy is low, lift your spirits when you are not confident, listen to your story, help you analyze a situation and give you the right answer when you need it,” says the site.
To do this, simply download the dedicated Doubao application on your smartphone and connect the chatGPT to the headphones. The AI tool can then be activated directly with the headphones using the keyword “Doubao Doubao”.
Invest in hardware
For the moment, the headphones are not sold in France, but only in China. They are available in four colors: purple, silver, black and white. Count 1,199 yuan (154 euros). But before putting your hand in your wallet, you will still have to wait. Pre-orders for these new models have already started, but the first deliveries are scheduled for October 17.
A new product that adds to the long list of tech equipment already developed by Bytedance. Because since 2019, the Chinese giant has invested massively in hardware. In 2019, the company acquired the Chinese smartphone brand Smartisan.
Two years later, in the midst of the Metaverse madness, the company specializing in virtual reality Pico was bought by Bytedance. Last month, the Chinese giant finalized the acquisition of Oladance, a start-up specializing in headphones.
According to information from Reutersthe parent company of tiktok also collaborates with Broadcom – an American semiconductor expert – to develop its own AI processor.
