BEIJING, Aug 6 - ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming has instructed the company's researchers to avoid using model distillation - the practice of using outputs from a more powerful AI to train or enhance a smaller system - even if that means forgoing short-term advantages, a state-backed Chinese outlet reported on Thursday.
According to the report, Zhang addressed a recent internal meeting and told staff that AI work should be guided by "long-termism and delayed gratification, rather than using others’ output to achieve short-term leaderboard rankings." The statement, as cited in the report, was directed at ByteDance’s Seed AI research team and emphasized a willingness to "sacrifice some short-term gains for long-term goals."
Model distillation has become a focal point in the intensifying technological competition between China and the United States. The technique involves taking the responses or behaviors of a high-capability model and using them to train a smaller or different model, a method critics say can be used to mirror proprietary capabilities without direct access to the original model's internal weights or training data.
The report noted that Zhang warned distillation could disrupt genuine long-term breakthroughs in AI. His comments come at a time when there is strong competition among Chinese developers to produce AI systems that are both cheaper to run and more powerful in capability.
International tensions on this issue are visible. The report highlighted accusations from Washington and leading U.S. AI firms that some Chinese rivals have relied on distillation to extract capabilities from proprietary models. In response, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has cautioned that Chinese companies could face financial sanctions or be placed on U.S. trade blacklists. The report also said Beijing has accused the United States of "AI hegemonism" and warned it could take countermeasures.
This account centers on internal guidance at ByteDance and describes a wider dispute over acceptable practices in AI development. The details cited in the report focus on Zhang’s message to the Seed AI team and the geopolitical tensions surrounding distillation-era techniques.