Top 10 Chinese AI Companies & AI Models You need to know

China is becoming one of the top players in artificial intelligence (AI), competing with major global companies like OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft.

Many Chinese tech companies are developing advanced AI models that are used in businesses, education, gaming, and research.

Here are the ten most important AI companies in China and their latest AI models.

Top 10 Chinese AI Companies & AI Models You need to know

1) DeepSeek AI (DeepSeek-R1)

DeepSeek AI is a fast-growing company based in Hangzhou that was founded in 2023. Even though it is a young company, it has already developed one of the most powerful AI models in China.

DeepSeek-R1 is designed to be good at reasoning, especially in areas like mathematics and coding. It can solve complex problems while using less computing power than other AI models, making it more efficient and cost-effective.

This AI is particularly useful for developers, businesses, and researchers who need a powerful AI assistant to help with automation and decision-making. DeepSeek AI has shown that Chinese AI companies can compete with global leaders in technology and innovation.

For those who are exploring a DeepSeek AI alternative, there are several other strong AI models developed by Chinese companies. In the following sections of this blog, I will discuss Tencent’s Hunyuan-Large, ByteDance’s Doubao-1.5-Pro, Alibaba’s Qwen2.5-Max, and more, which offer similar or even enhanced capabilities depending on specific use cases.

2) Tencent (Hunyuan-Large)

Tencent is one of China’s biggest technology companies, known for popular products like WeChat and its influence in gaming and AI development.

The Hunyuan-Large model, released in 2024, is one of its most advanced AI models. It uses a technique called the Mixture of Experts (MoE), which allows the AI to choose the best-specialized sub-models to handle different tasks.

This approach makes Hunyuan-Large highly efficient and accurate, especially for answering complex questions. With 389 billion parameters, it is one of the largest AI models in China.

Tencent’s AI model is widely used in areas like customer service, chatbots, and business automation, making AI interactions more natural and helpful for users.

3) ByteDance (Doubao-1.5-pro)

ByteDance, the company behind TikTok, is also a leader in artificial intelligence. Its latest AI model, Doubao-1.5-Pro, was released in early 2025.

This model is designed to be compact yet highly effective, balancing power and efficiency. It is mainly used for processing language, creating content, and powering chatbots.

Businesses use it to automate tasks such as writing articles, generating responses for customer service, and analyzing data.

Since ByteDance is already known for its expertise in social media algorithms, its AI models are also shaping the future of content recommendation and personalization, helping businesses engage users in a more targeted way.

4) MiniMax (MiniMax-Text-01)

MiniMax is a relatively new AI company that specializes in language models and automation. Their MiniMax-Text-01 model is one of the largest AI models in China, with 456 billion parameters.

It is designed to understand and generate human-like text, making it useful for applications such as chatbots, text analysis, and content creation.

One of its key advantages is that it works well in both Chinese and English, making it a versatile choice for businesses that operate globally.

Many companies use this AI to automate writing emails, generating reports, and managing customer support. The efficiency of this AI model helps businesses save time while improving their communication and workflow.

5) Alibaba (Qwen2.5-Max)

Alibaba, best known for its e-commerce platform, is also heavily involved in AI research. Its latest AI model, Qwen2.5-Max, was released in 2025 and is one of the most powerful AI models in China.

It has been tested against other well-known AI models like GPT-4o, DeepSeek-V3, and Llama-3, and has shown better performance in key areas. This AI model is mainly used for improving online shopping experiences, marketing, and customer service.

For example, it helps businesses analyze customer preferences, automate responses to customer questions, and create personalized recommendations. Alibaba’s AI technology plays an important role in making e-commerce smarter and more efficient.

6) Moonshot AI (Kimi k1.5)

Moonshot AI is a new AI company that has quickly gained recognition for developing advanced AI models. Its Kimi k1.5 model, released in early 2025, is designed to handle multiple types of data, including text, images, and even voice.

This makes it a powerful tool for a wide range of applications, from virtual assistants to research tools. In many tests, Kimi k1.5 has matched the performance of OpenAI’s GPT-4 in key areas like math and coding.

It is especially useful for businesses that need an AI assistant to handle complex tasks, such as analyzing large amounts of data or automating decision-making processes.

7) 01-AI (Yi-XLarge)

01-AI was founded by Kai-Fu Lee, a well-known technology expert who previously worked at Microsoft and Google.

The company focuses on open-source AI, which means that its AI models are freely available for anyone to use and modify. Its latest model, Yi-XLarge, has 34 billion parameters and is designed to be powerful yet efficient.

One of its biggest advantages is that it supports both Chinese and English, making it a good option for international use.

Many developers and businesses use Yi-XLarge as an affordable alternative to expensive AI models. It is used for tasks such as language translation, document summarization, and automated customer support.

8) SenseTime (SenseNova 5.0)

SenseTime is one of China’s leading AI companies, specializing in computer vision. This means that its AI technology is focused on understanding and analyzing images and videos.

The latest version of its AI, SenseNova 5.0, is designed to improve facial recognition, video processing, and smart surveillance systems. This AI is widely used in security, healthcare, and retail.

For example, many companies use it for fraud detection, automated security monitoring, and improving online shopping experiences with AI-powered recommendations. SenseTime’s AI is also used in smart cities to help manage traffic and monitor public spaces more efficiently.

9) Zhipu AI (GLM-4)

Zhipu AI is an AI research company that focuses on natural language processing (NLP), which involves teaching AI to understand and generate human language. Its latest model, GLM-4, is designed to handle advanced language tasks such as translation, chatbots, and AI-powered writing tools.

This AI model competes with OpenAI’s GPT-4 in areas like answering complex questions and writing detailed responses. Many businesses and developers use GLM-4 to improve customer service, automate content creation, and develop intelligent virtual assistants.

Its ability to understand and generate high-quality text makes it one of the best AI models for communication-related tasks.

10) StepFun (Step-2)

StepFun is a company that focuses on using AI in gaming and interactive applications. Its Step-2 model is designed to make games more immersive and responsive by improving the intelligence of in-game characters, also known as NPCs (non-player characters).

This AI helps create more realistic and engaging gaming experiences by making characters react in a more human-like way. It is also used in virtual reality (VR) and interactive entertainment, allowing for smarter and more adaptive gameplay.

Game developers use Step-2 to design more interactive and challenging games that respond dynamically to players’ actions.

Conclusion

China’s AI industry is growing rapidly, and these companies are leading the way with their advanced AI models.

From chatbots and business automation to gaming and security, these AI models are shaping the future of technology.

Many of these companies are now competing directly with global AI leaders, proving that China is becoming a major force in artificial intelligence.

Whether you are a business owner, developer, or researcher, understanding these AI models can help you stay ahead in the fast-changing world of technology.