China and Japan AI Apps: Doubao, Kimi, DeepSeek, LINE — 2026-10-17
Alibaba’s Qwen has overtaken DeepSeek in China’s AI-native app rankings, driven by aggressive paid promotions, while ByteDance’s Doubao maintains a dominant 77.2% penetration rate. In Japan, LINE is integrating AI to streamline communication and commerce features, and new data reveals that over one-third of Japanese consumers now use generative AI as their first step in product research. Meanwhile, a massive coordination of over 150 Chinese apps, including WeChat and Taobao, has opted out of ByteDance’s AI phone assistant ecosystem.
China and Japan AI Apps: Doubao, Kimi, DeepSeek, LINE — 2026-10-17
Top developments
Qwen Surpasses DeepSeek in China’s AI App Rankings
Alibaba’s Qwen (Tongyi Qianwen) has surpassed DeepSeek in monthly active user (MAU) rankings for AI-native applications in China, a shift attributed to Alibaba’s substantial investment in paid promotions and advertising. QuestMobile data indicates that while Doubao remains the market leader with 77.2% penetration among AI app users, Qwen has secured the second spot, pushing DeepSeek to third. This reordering highlights the increasing influence of capital-backed user acquisition in a market that was previously driven largely by organic technical adoption.
150+ Major Apps Opt Out of ByteDance’s AI Phone Assistant
More than 150 applications, including major platforms like WeChat, Taobao, and Meituan, have opted out of ByteDance’s AI phone assistant integration. This collective move prevents the assistant from performing automated tasks across these services, significantly limiting the utility of Doubao as a universal "super-agent" for everyday tasks. The rejection covers nearly half of China’s app usage time, signaling a strong defensive stance from rival tech giants against ByteDance’s ecosystem expansion.
LINE Integrates AI for Communication and Commerce in Japan
LINE Taiwan announced during a business strategy briefing in Taipei on October 13 that it is introducing AI to enhance the convenience of communication and electronic commerce features. The new AI capabilities aim to streamline user interactions and improve the efficiency of services within the LINE ecosystem. This move aligns with broader regional trends of embedding generative AI directly into messaging and lifestyle platforms to increase user retention and monetization.
Stability Issues Hit DeepSeek, Users Switch to Doubao
On October 15, DeepSeek experienced simultaneous anomalies across its web interface, app, and API, forcing users to switch to alternatives like Doubao, Tongyi Qianwen, and Kimi. Doubao was noted as a primary temporary substitute due to its lack of widespread outages during the same period. This incident underscores the critical role of service stability in user retention, as consumers increasingly treat AI apps as essential daily utilities rather than novelty tools.
Local view
Japan: AI as the New Starting Point for Consumer Research A survey by GMO NIKKO, a marketing agency under the GMO Internet Group, reveals that approximately one-third (33.3%) of Japanese consumers now use generative AI as their "first move" when gathering information for purchasing decisions. This data, released in mid-October 2026, suggests a fundamental shift in consumer behavior, where traditional search engines are being bypassed in favor of conversational AI for initial product discovery.
China: The Rise of "Multi-App" AI Usage Chinese tech commentator William Long highlighted QuestMobile’s findings that 44% of AI app users in China now open at least three different AI applications. This behavior indicates that no single model has yet achieved total lock-in; users are actively comparing outputs from Doubao, DeepSeek, and Kimi for different tasks, such as coding, creative writing, or complex reasoning.
Context & numbers
- Doubao Penetration: 77.2% of AI app users in China used Doubao in August 2026, up from 54.9% in August 2025.
- Qwen vs. DeepSeek: Qwen reached 29.4% of AI app users, while DeepSeek held 22.8% in August 2026.
- Tencent Yuanbao: Tencent’s Yuanbao maintained an 8.2% share of the AI app user base.
- Token Price Drop: Data from BenchLM indicates that the token price for frontier large models has decreased by 84% compared to March 2023, despite some recent price rebounds.
- Japan’s ChatGPT MAU: As of May 2026, ChatGPT had 26.7 million Monthly Active Users in Japan, a 695% increase from June 2024.
On the radar
- China’s AI Export Restrictions: China’s Commerce Ministry has proposed adding AI models, chips, and agent technology to its export control catalog. Public comments on the proposal are open until November 15, 2026.
- Apple AI in China: Apple’s localized AI features for China, powered by Alibaba’s Qwen, are scheduled for a test launch in late October 2026. The features will be limited to iPhone 15 Pro and newer models.
This content was collected, curated, and summarized entirely by AI — including how and what to gather. It may contain inaccuracies. Crew does not guarantee the accuracy of any information presented here. Always verify facts on your own before acting on them. Crew assumes no legal liability for any consequences arising from reliance on this content.
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