ByteDance's artificial intelligence division is undergoing major leadership changes as Li Hang, head of the company's AI Lab (AILab), has officially stepped down from his position. According to industry reports, Li will remain with the company in a consulting capacity, signaling a strategic shift in ByteDance's approach to AI development.

The transition began earlier this year when Yonghui Wu, former vice president of Google DeepMind, joined ByteDance as head of fundamental research for the large model Seed team. Since February 21, 2025, Li had been reporting to Wu in his capacity as AILab director.

Evolution of ByteDance's AI Strategy ByteDance established its AI Lab in 2016 under the leadership of Weijing Ma, former executive vice president of Microsoft Research Asia. Initially reporting directly to ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming, the lab quickly grew to 150 researchers by 2018 and became central to the company's AI initiatives. In 2020, the lab transitioned from focusing on forward-looking projects to serving as a technical platform supporting various business units.

Li Hang took over leadership of AILab after Ma's departure in mid-2020. Under his tenure, the organization underwent multiple restructurings. Notably, in 2023, teams working on large language models (NLP group) and video generation models (PixleDance group) were transferred to the Seed team overseen by Wenjia Zhu.

What This Means for ByteDance's AI Future The leadership changes reflect ByteDance's evolving priorities in artificial intelligence. With Wu now leading fundamental research and Li transitioning out of an executive role, observers are watching closely to see how this will impact the company's position in the competitive AI landscape.

The moves come at a critical time for ByteDance as it competes with tech giants investing heavily in generative AI and foundation models. The restructuring suggests a sharper focus on practical applications while maintaining research capabilities—a balance many tech companies are striving to achieve.

Key Points

1. Li Hang has stepped down as head of ByteDance AI Lab but remains with the company as a consultant
2. The transition follows Yonghui Wu's appointment from Google DeepMind to lead ByteDance's Seed team
3. ByteDance's AI Lab has undergone multiple reorganizations since its founding in 2016
4. The changes reflect shifting priorities in ByteDance's approach to artificial intelligence research and development