ByteDance Launches Affordable AI Coding Agent
- tech360.tv
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
ByteDance’s cloud unit, Volcano Engine, has introduced a new AI coding agent to China’s market. The Doubao-Seed-Code model is priced at USD 1.30 (9.9 yuan) for the initial month of subscription. This launch highlights the intense competition within China’s expanding market for AI developer tools.
After the promotional period, the standard monthly fee for the model is 40 yuan. Volcano Engine president Tan Dai previously stated that usage of ByteDance’s Doubao chatbot has increased significantly. Dai noted this growth underscores the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence among Chinese consumers and strengthens ByteDance’s standing among global AI leaders. The new Doubao-Seed-Code model achieved a top score on the SWE-Bench Verified test. This performance places it on par with major systems, including Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet. This launch follows a move by US AI start-up Anthropic, which recently updated its service terms to restrict access for subsidiaries of Chinese organisations.
Separately, ByteDance is also increasing its efforts in robotics, initiating a recruitment drive for senior specialists. The company seeks experts in embodied intelligence for the development of humanoid robots. Volcano Engine, ByteDance's cloud computing division, has advertised monthly salaries ranging from USD 13,328 to USD 16,838 (95,000 yuan to 120,000 yuan) for these positions.
This initiative marks ByteDance’s clearest move into humanoid robotics, as it specifically targets specialists in this field rather than general robotics experts. Job listings indicate roles involve researching operational algorithms, pre-training large language models, and integrating hardware for humanoid robots. Candidates for these roles are required to hold a master’s or doctoral degree in computer science, automation, artificial intelligence, or other relevant disciplines.
Other major Chinese artificial intelligence organisations, such as Alibaba Group Holding, are also investing in humanoid robotics, indicating its growing importance.
Source: South China Morning Post
ByteDance's Volcano Engine launched an AI coding agent, the Doubao-Seed-Code model, for USD 1.30 (9.9 yuan) for the first month.
The new AI coding agent achieved a state-of-the-art record on the SWE-Bench Verified test, matching systems like Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet.
ByteDance is accelerating its overall artificial intelligence push, with its Doubao chatbot usage significantly increasing.
The company is also recruiting senior specialists in embodied intelligence for humanoid robot development, offering competitive salaries.
This move highlights growing competition in China’s AI developer tools market and increasing investment in humanoid robotics by Chinese tech organisations.
