Why Chinese AI products are built differently

Yilin Zhang, who earned a master’s in computer science from Tsinghua in 2021, spent more than three years at Meituan building AI features before moving to the startup Kuse in October. At Meituan he worked on a consumer-facing AI assistant that could handle tasks like ordering food, and a merchant-facing agent to help businesses with reservations, orders, and routine operations.

The market shapes product choices. Chinese users show a lower willingness to pay, so many mass-market AI offerings—examples include Doubao—are free and designed to maximize active usage. Capabilities are often bundled into a single prompt or chatbox with a low barrier to entry, while international products more frequently target high-value, work-oriented tasks and are built for desktop workflows that blend AI with human processes.

Competitive pressure and constraints have also driven different technical approaches.

China

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