ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, is suing former intern Tian Keyu for 8 million yuan ($1.1 million) after accusing him of sabotaging its AI model training system.
The lawsuit, filed in Beijing, alleges Tian manipulated code and made unauthorized changes to disrupt the company’s AI infrastructure.
The company fired Tian in August, and while rumors suggested significant losses involving thousands of GPUs, ByteDance dismissed these claims as exaggerated.
The case has drawn attention due to its focus on AI and the unusual step of suing an intern for such a large sum.
Tian has not responded to media inquiries, and ByteDance declined to comment.
