ByteDance fires an intern for interfering with an AI model
ByteDance, the producer of TikTok, has fired an intern for “maliciously interfering” with one its artificial intelligence (AI) models. However, the company maintain that the damage is not severe. They described viral reports as inaccurate and exaggerated.
“The individual was an intern with the [advertising] technology team and has no experience with the AI Lab. Their social media profile and some media reports contain inaccuracies”, ByteDance explained.
Its commercial online operations, as well as its large language AI models, were unharmed by the intern’s actions, the company clarified.
ByteDance also refuted reports that the incident caused more than $10m of damage by upsetting an AI training system made up of thousands of powerful graphics processing units (GPU). After firing the intern, ByteDance stated that they contacted the intern’s alma mater and industry bodies to inform them of the incident.
ByteDance is the brain behind some of the world’s most popular social media apps, including TikTok and its equivalent in China, Douyin. It is seen as a leading company in algorithm development due to the popularity of its products among users. And just like similar companies in China, ByteDance is throwing all their weight behind AI innovation.
What is it like to work in ByteDance?
Additionally, ByteDance is famous for their amazing internship opportunities across various departments. Former interns, however, have hinted that the company is a difficult place to work. This is in contrast to the lofty reviews most interns post about the company on Glassdoor.
Some interns raised the issue of a poor work-life balance. They complain that it’s ingrained in the company’s culture to work overtime. In an anonymous post, a ByteDance software engineer complained about the company’s “toxic culture”. Even on Glassdoor, staff members mention burn out and the company’s stance on remote work as some of the problems they face.
“The leadership is completely unconcerned about employee welfare,” a particular post said. “They cater to a culture that creates constant stress and a horrible (work-life balance); they never address employee burnouts. They are very control-oriented and unempathetic towards the employees.”
The giant social media company is currently facing scrutiny in the United States of America where a federal ban looms. The company has been given till January 19th 2025 to sell its stake in TikTok to a recommended buyer. The other option is to close the app. The US government claims that TikTok is a threat to national security. As expected, ByteDance strongly disagrees with this claim.
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