Latest news with #Rednote
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Labubu fans left 'terrified' after discovering what's behind popular toy's fluffy exterior
The hottest new toy has stopped people in their tracks - and not for a good reason. Labubus - plush, furry little dolls made by Chinese toy company Pop Mart - h ave become all the rage in recent months, with people all across the web scrambling to get their hands on one. The $30 toy, which has big teeth, elf-like ears, and a fuzzy outfit, has caused such a stir that some A-listers are paying more than triple the price for it. But now, social media users have discovered something about the bizarre new phenomenon that has left them 'terrified.' One X, formerly Twitter, user recently went viral after they shared an image of the doll without its fluffy exterior - and people all across the web were horrified over what it looked like sans its iconic hooded outfit. Without its endearing, soft clothes, the plastic toy's bald, oval-shaped head, bright eyes, and creepy, toothy smile looked pretty eerie. The snap of the naked Labubu also showcased its short torso and claw-like feet, while revealing it features underwear with a bow underneath its fuzzy onesie. 'THIS S**T LOOKS HORRENDOUS WHAT THE F**K' the poster wrote - and many others were quick to agree. They later shared that they hadn't originally taken the image, but that it had come from Chinese social media app, Rednote. Others chimed in to express their horror at the de-clothed toy. Someone compared it to a hairless cat, writing: 'Same mood.' 'POOR LABUBU,' another person lamented. '[PLEASE] PUT IT BACK IN ITS [SUIT] PLEASE. THIS IS TERRIFYING,' a different user begged. 'Now why would you undress the Labubu? [It's] looking like when a man shaves off his beard and has no chin,' someone else compared. Others yelled: 'WHAT THE HELL IS THAT,' 'PUT IT BACK ON OMG,' and, 'GET THAT OUTTA MY FACE EW.' 'The feet???' someone else questioned, referring to the toy's three-toed, alligator-like feet. 'PUT IT AWAY… it's like the featherless owls…' another compared. 'WHAT THE F**K THEY SKINNED LABUBU,' one distraught user screamed. In recent months, the $30 toys - which originated in Hong Kong - have taken off in popularity, with kids and adults alike racing to try to get the plush accessories. Not only are there lines wrapping around the outside of shopping malls across America, but in the UK, Pop Mart has had to pause sales of Labubus in-store to protect customer safety. They're also being seen as a status symbol, with wealthy women and men hanging them off their Hermès Birkin bags and $2,000 Goyard totes.
Time of India
10-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Rednote joins wave of Chinese firms releasing open-source AI models
HighlightsChina's Rednote, also known as Xiaohongshu, has released an open-source large language model called joining other Chinese tech firms in making their artificial intelligence models freely available. The open-source strategy of Chinese companies contrasts with the proprietary approach of many U.S. tech giants like OpenAI and Google, although some American firms, including Meta, have also released open-source models. Rednote's new model performs comparably to Alibaba's Qwen 2.5 series in coding tasks but lags behind more advanced models such as DeepSeek-V3. China's Rednote , one of the country's most popular social media platforms, has released an open-source large language model , joining a wave of Chinese tech firms making their artificial intelligence models freely available. The approach contrasts with many U.S. tech giants like OpenAI and Google, which have kept their most advanced models proprietary, though some American firms including Meta have also released open-source models. Open sourcing allows Chinese companies to demonstrate their technological capabilities, build developer communities and spread influence globally at a time when the US has sought to stymie China's tech progress with export restrictions on advanced semiconductors. Rednote's model, called is available for download on developer platform Hugging Face. A company technical paper describing it was uploaded on Friday. In coding tasks, the model performs comparably to Alibaba 's Qwen 2.5 series, though it trails more advanced models such as DeepSeek-V3, the technical paper said. RedNote, also known by its Chinese name Xiaohongshu, is an Instagram-like platform where users share photos, videos, text posts and live streams. The platform gained international attention earlier this year when some U.S. users flocked to the app amid concerns over a potential TikTok ban. The company has invested in large language model development since 2023, not long after OpenAI's release of ChatGPT in late 2022. It has accelerated its AI efforts in recent months, launching Diandian, an AI-powered search application that helps users find content on Xiaohongshu's main platform. Other companies that are pursuing an open-source approach include Alibaba which launched Qwen 3 , an upgraded version of its model in April. Earlier this year, startup DeepSeek released its low-cost R1 model as open-source software, shaking up the global AI industry due to its competitive performance despite being developed at a fraction of the cost of Western rivals.
Business Insider
10-06-2025
- Business Insider
China's tech firms block AI access during high-stakes college entrance exams
In China, one exam can decide your future, and this year, students weren't allowed any help from AI. As millions of high school seniors began sitting for China's notoriously grueling "gaokao" college entrance exam from Saturday, the country's biggest tech firms quietly pulled the plug on their AI tools. Apps from Tencent, ByteDance, and Moonshot AI disabled features like photo recognition and real-time question answering, a move aimed at preventing students from using chatbots to cheat during the high-stakes national exam. Last month, China's education ministry warned students not to rely on AI-generated answers for assignments or tests, even while promoting AI education from a young age. This year, about 13.4 million students are taking the "gaokao," which runs from Saturday to Tuesday, according to local media. Unlike the US college admissions process, which often considers essays, extracurriculars, various standardized exams, and school records, China's system leans almost entirely on this one test. For many students, especially those from rural or low-income backgrounds, the "gaokao" is a once-a-year shot at social mobility. That kind of pressure has fueled an arms race in test prep, from private tuition centers to after-school cram schools. But over the weekend and into this week, AI was off the table. Chinese chatbots go dark Screenshots posted by users on the Chinese app Rednote showed that popular AI chatbots like Tencent's YuanBao, ByteDance's Doubao, and Moonshot AI's Kimi had disabled exam-relevant features during testing hours. In one post on Sunday, a user who goes by "DKK" attempted to upload what appeared to be a test paper to Doubao. The chatbot immediately shut it down: "The image content is not compliant and the upload failed." In another screenshot posted on Monday, user "Gemini0612" asked Doubao for help with a question. The chatbot responded with a notice: "We are very sorry. In order to ensure the fairness of the college entrance examination, Doubao's Q&A function will be temporarily closed during the examination period and will be restored after the examination at 6.45 p.m. this afternoon. Thank you for your understanding and support, and wish all candidates good luck in the college entrance examination." Tencent's YuanBao replied with a similar message in another screenshot posted Monday: "Dear users, to ensure fairness in the college entrance examination, this function is not available during the college entrance examination period. Tencent's Yuanbao wishes all candidates success in the exam." Tencent's chatbot offers users a choice between its in-house Hunyuan model and DeepSeek's R1. The Shenzhen-based tech giant has integrated both models across its vast ecosystem, including WeChat, China's biggest social media app used by nearly 1.4 billion people. Moonshot AI's chatbot Kimi also locked down its photo-recognition and question-answering functions. In a Rednote post on Sunday, a user who said he is a college student uploaded a photo of a question and asked Kimi for help. The chatbot responded with another canned message about ensuring fairness during the college entrance examination period. The user pushed back: "I am not a college entrance examination candidate. The college entrance examination does not test this." But Kimi didn't budge. Tencent, ByteDance, and Moonshot AI did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. China wants students to learn AI — just not use it to cheat China is all in on AI education. In China's capital, Beijing, AI education is compulsory for students, including elementary schoolers. Starting this fall, schools in the city must provide at least eight hours of AI instruction per academic year, the Beijing Municipal Education Commission said in March. While the country is racing to build an AI-literate generation, regulators are also drawing a hard line, saying AI is for learning, not for shortcuts. By pulling the plug during the "gaokao," tech firms reinforced the message: AI has no place in the exam hall.
Indian Express
10-06-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Rednote joins wave of Chinese firms releasing open-source AI models
China's Rednote, one of the country's most popular social media platforms, has released an open-source large language model, joining a wave of Chinese tech firms making their artificial intelligence models freely available. The approach contrasts with many U.S. tech giants like OpenAI and Google, which have kept their most advanced models proprietary, though some American firms including Meta have also released open-source models. Open sourcing allows Chinese companies to demonstrate their technological capabilities, build developer communities and spread influence globally at a time when the U.S. has sought to stymie China's tech progress with export restrictions on advanced semiconductors. Rednote's model, called is available for download on developer platform Hugging Face. A company technical paper describing it was uploaded on Friday. In coding tasks, the model performs comparably to Alibaba's Qwen 2.5 series, though it trails more advanced models such as DeepSeek-V3, the technical paper said. RedNote, also known by its Chinese name Xiaohongshu, is an Instagram-like platform where users share photos, videos, text posts and live streams. The platform gained international attention earlier this year when some U.S. users flocked to the app amid concerns over a potential TikTok ban. The company has invested in large language model development since 2023, not long after OpenAI's release of ChatGPT in late 2022. It has accelerated its AI efforts in recent months, launching Diandian, an AI-powered search application that helps users find content on Xiaohongshu's main platform. Other companies that are pursuing an open-source approach include Alibaba which launched Qwen 3, an upgraded version of its model in April. Earlier this year, startup DeepSeek released its low-cost R1 model as open-source software, shaking up the global AI industry due to its competitive performance despite being developed at a fraction of the cost of Western rivals.
The Hindu
09-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Rednote joins wave of Chinese firms releasing open-source AI models
China's Rednote, one of the country's most popular social media platforms, has released an open-source large language model, joining a wave of Chinese tech firms making their artificial intelligence models freely available. The approach contrasts with many U.S. tech giants like OpenAI and Google, which have kept their most advanced models proprietary, though some American firms including Meta have also released open-source models. Open sourcing allows Chinese companies to demonstrate their technological capabilities, build developer communities and spread influence globally at a time when the U.S. has sought to stymie China's tech progress with export restrictions on advanced semiconductors. Rednote's model, called is available for download on developer platform Hugging Face. A company technical paper describing it was uploaded on Friday. In coding tasks, the model performs comparably to Alibaba's Qwen 2.5 series, though it trails more advanced models such as DeepSeek-V3, the technical paper said. RedNote, also known by its Chinese name Xiaohongshu, is an Instagram-like platform where users share photos, videos, text posts and live streams. The platform gained international attention earlier this year when some U.S. users flocked to the app amid concerns over a potential TikTok ban. The company has invested in large language model development since 2023, not long after OpenAI's release of ChatGPT in late 2022. It has accelerated its AI efforts in recent months, launching Diandian, an AI-powered search application that helps users find content on Xiaohongshu's main platform. Other companies that are pursuing an open-source approach include Alibaba which launched Qwen 3, an upgraded version of its model in April. Earlier this year, startup DeepSeek released its low-cost R1 model as open-source software, shaking up the global AI industry due to its competitive performance despite being developed at a fraction of the cost of Western rivals.
