AI App Usage Surges as ByteDance Takes Lead

Fresh data from research firm Quest Mobile paints a clear picture of China's booming AI app market. Their latest report shows ByteDance-related applications claiming three of the top four spots in weekly active users during mid-December.

The Frontrunners

Doubao leads the pack with an impressive 155 million weekly active users - more than double its nearest competitor. DeepSeek follows with 81.56 million, while Yuanbao rounds out ByteDance's strong showing at 20.84 million.

"What we're seeing is general-purpose AI tools establishing early dominance," explains tech analyst Li Wei. "But specialized applications are finding their niches too."

Specialized Apps Make Their Mark

The health sector emerges as particularly strong for specialized AI. Ant Group's Afu health assistant recently crossed the 10 million weekly user threshold after a major December update that transformed it from mere tool to "AI friend." The revamp included enhanced health companionship features and smarter Q&A capabilities.

The changes clearly resonated - Afu downloads skyrocketed, briefly claiming the #2 spot on Apple's App Store free chart shortly after launch.

Balanced Ecosystem Emerging

The top ten list reveals an interesting split:

• 6 general AI assistants
• 4 specialized scenario-based tools

Alibaba's Qwen ranks fifth overall, while Ant Group makes another appearance with newcomer Lingguang cracking the top ten just weeks after its November launch.

"This balance suggests healthy diversity in how consumers are adopting AI," notes Quest Mobile researcher Zhang Ying. "Some want Swiss Army knives, others prefer precision tools."

Key Points:

• Doubao maintains commanding lead with 155M weekly users
• Ant Group's Afu demonstrates strong health sector potential
• Market shows near-even split between general and specialized apps
• New entrants like Lingguang proving rapid adoption possible