China's quest for leadership in artificial intelligence (AI) takes a step forward with the launch of Vidu, a new text-to-video generation tool. Developed by Shengshu Technology in collaboration with Tsinghua University, Vidu aims to compete with OpenAI's popular Sora application.
Unveiled at the Zhongguancun Forum in Beijing, Vidu allows users to create short videos from simple text prompts.
Led by Chief Scientist Zhu Jun, who also serves as deputy dean at Tsinghua's Institute for AI, Vidu is hailed as a product of "self-reliant innovation" with significant breakthroughs.
While limited to generating 16-second clips compared to Sora's 60-second capability, Vidu boasts the ability to produce high-quality 1080p resolution videos.
Demonstrations showcased Vidu's potential, generating clips featuring a panda playing guitar and a puppy swimming.
Vidu's introduction ignites hope for China's AI industry as it strives to match global leaders like Microsoft-backed OpenAI in generative AI technology.
Notably, Chinese tech companies haven't shown the same level of enthusiasm for Sora compared to OpenAI's earlier success with ChatGPT, a popular AI chatbot.
Industry experts like Beijing-based technical consultant Li Yangwei suggest this disparity might be due to limitations in computing power.
Li highlights Sora's demanding requirements, citing the need for eight powerful NVIDIA A100 GPUs running for over three hours to generate a single minute of video.
This development signifies China's growing ambitions in the AI realm. Vidu's focus on user-friendly text-to-video generation offers an alternative to existing tools, potentially impacting various creative fields. While limitations exist in video length compared to Sora, Vidu's high-resolution output and focus on accessibility present a compelling option. As China continues to invest in AI research and development, Vidu's launch marks a noteworthy step in the global AI race.
Conclusion
As China's Vidu enters the arena of text-to-video AI, it brings fresh competition to the forefront, challenging established players like OpenAI's Sora. With its innovative features and commitment to self-reliant innovation, Vidu holds the potential to reshape the landscape of generative AI technology, driving further advancements and breakthroughs in the field.