Doubao makes another strong push towards the C-end (consumer market).
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Author | Wang Xiaojuan
Editor | Huang Yu
In order to attract users, AI to C applications are accelerating their integration into more and more aspects of daily life.
Recently, on short video platforms, many users have tried having video conversations with Doubao and asked for outfit suggestions, resulting in a wave of jokes like "roll up your pant legs."
Based on the video call function, on January 20, Doubao officially "joined" the Pudong Art Museum, becoming the official AI guide for two major international exhibitions at the museum. This is also the first time an AI product has become the official guide tool for an art museum. During the exhibition, visitors can receive professional explanations of specific exhibits at any time through Doubao App’s "video call" function or by taking a photo and asking questions.
It’s not hard to see that Doubao has become one of the most proactive native AI applications penetrating into people's daily lives, and it’s been quite effective.
According to market data cited by CICC, the number of daily active users (DAU) of the domestic Doubao App has already exceeded 100 million, leading other competitors.
Of course, Doubao is not the only one aiming at the next-generation super gateway. Since last year, all the major companies have been accelerating the deployment of AI to C products, and the competition in the industry has visibly sped up.
Currently, major internet players are adopting differentiated strategies in the AI to C track.
Bytedance, leveraging its content and traffic advantages, allows users to directly share their Doubao interactions to platforms such as Douyin, further driving user growth. When users raise consumption-related questions, Doubao can recommend specific products and guide purchases. This positioning as a "video entertainment AI gateway" fits well with Bytedance's content ecosystem strengths.
Alibaba has formed a differentiated product matrix through "general coverage + vertical deep-dive." Recently, the latest version of the Qianwen App has fully integrated Alibaba’s ecosystem businesses such as Taobao, Alipay, and Fliggy, enabling AI-powered shopping functions like ordering takeout and booking flights, aiming to build the best personal AI assistant. For vertical areas, Afo, an AI health assistant, is a representative example.
Tencent, relying on WeChat's social ecosystem, has built Yuanbao as a "social AI gateway." Yuanbao is backed by WeChat’s real-world social network and extends to "office AI" and "personal knowledge AI."
Judging from the latest moves by each company at the beginning of the year, 2026 seems to be shaping up as the "first year of the general AI gateway," with each company striving to make their AI to C applications the super gateway for shopping, entertainment, social activities, and more.
Zhang Heng, an analyst at Guosen Securities, believes AI is reshaping the form of user gateways. The changes in gateway forms are triggering a fundamental revolution in how internet traffic is distributed: the era of traditional search engines (SEO) is coming to an end, while the era of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is officially beginning.
He further pointed out in a research report that, in the past, user search behavior relied on “keyword matching—click a link—manually filter,” whereas current AI search revolves around natural language: users only need to ask a question, and the system can automatically understand intent, aggregate information, and generate a unique structured answer. This transformation has given rise to GEO, whose essence is no longer about search ranking, but about optimizing data structuring and authority to compete for AI models' "citation rate" and "answer share."
Under this model, industry insiders predict that whoever owns the AI gateway will own the world. This transformation is not just an upgrade of product form, but a full reconstruction of how internet traffic is distributed.
In other words, the competition among AI to C applications is essentially a race to become the "super gateway" for users' digital lives. The value of this gateway lies in whether it becomes the first touchpoint for users to solve problems.
In this model, deeply binding to use-case scenarios is key. Whoever can combine AI capabilities with high-frequency, high-need use cases will seize the initiative.
Technical barriers and data loops form a moat. Data collected from multi-scenario applications can feed back into model optimization, creating a positive cycle of “data–model–scenarios.” This determines that leaders may remain ahead in the industry.
Integration capability of ecosystems is what sets the ceiling. A true super gateway needs to integrate various services and form a complete experience loop.
Although AI to C applications are developing rapidly, they still face multiple challenges, such as: it's hard to establish standardized interfaces across intelligent agents among fiercely competitive internet giants; the calling and revenue-sharing relationships between agents are unclear; and data access and security issues remain to be solved.
Moreover, exploration of business models is still at an early stage. Major internet firms are generally focusing on seizing users and improving user experience, and have not clarified short-term monetization goals.
Nevertheless, there is no doubt that an unprecedented AI revolution is permeating everyone’s daily life.
Risk Disclaimer and Limitations of LiabilityThe market is risky, and investments should be made with caution. This article does not constitute individual investment advice, nor does it take into account the special investment objectives, financial situation, or needs of any particular user. Users should consider whether any opinions, views, or conclusions in this article are suitable for their specific situation. Investment based on this is at your own risk.
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