At the 2024 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, Kuaishou made a statement that turned heads across the tech world. For the first time, the company brought its entire AI model family together on one stage—and what they showed was nothing short of ambitious.
The forum, titled “New AI • New Applications • New Ecosystem,” wasn’t just another corporate presentation. It was a window into how one of the world’s largest content communities sees the future taking shape. And at the center of that vision? Generative AI, powerful enough to reshape how we create, discover, and interact with video.
The Big Picture: AI as Kuaishou’s Engine
For years, Kuaishou has quietly built one of the most sophisticated AI infrastructures in the social media landscape. But “quietly” is the key word. Unlike some competitors who shout about every incremental update, Kuaishou has focused on integration—weaving AI so deeply into its platform that users experience the benefits without necessarily seeing the machinery.
At WAIC, the machinery was on full display.
Senior Vice President Gai Kun framed it simply: “Kuaishou will remain committed to investing in AI, vigorously driving technological innovation and bringing users the best AI technology.” That commitment spans three core areas:
- The KwaiYii large language model, which powers everything from script generation to customer service
- A recommendation large model that continually refines how content reaches the right eyes
- Visual generation models like Kling and Kolors, which are pushing the boundaries of what AI can create
Together, these models form what the company calls its “AI model matrix”—a interconnected system that touches every corner of the Kuaishou experience.
Kling AI: The Star of the Show
If there was a breakout star at the forum, it was Kling—Kuaishou’s video generation model that has captured global attention since its debut just weeks earlier.
What Makes Kling Different?
Unlike many AI video tools that produce abstract or obviously artificial results, Kling aims for cinematic realism. It understands physical laws—how water flows, how fabric moves, how light interacts with surfaces. The result is footage that, in many cases, looks like it was shot with a camera rather than generated by code.
At WAIC, Kuaishou announced the third major upgrade to Kling in under a month. That pace of iteration alone signals how seriously the company is taking this technology. The updates included:
Extended Video Duration
Creators can now generate single text-to-video clips up to 10 seconds long—currently the longest duration available to ordinary users in the industry. For context, that’s enough time to tell a micro-story, create a compelling loop for social media, or establish a convincing scene.
Advanced Frame Control
Perhaps more significant than raw length is the new level of creative control. Kling now offers start and end frame control, letting users define exactly how a video begins and concludes. Combined with shot control capabilities, this gives creators unprecedented influence over the final output. You’re no longer just describing a scene and hoping for the best; you’re actively directing it.
High-Definition Output
Video quality has been substantially improved, with clearer details, more accurate colors, and better overall composition. The “cinematic quality” that Kling initially promised is becoming increasingly tangible.
Web Portal Access
Kling is now accessible via web portal at https://klingai.kuaishou.com, making it easier for creators to experiment without complex setups.
The Numbers Tell the Story
Since its June 6 launch, Kling has attracted over 500,000 beta test applicants. Users have generated 7 million videos. Popular creations like “Old Photo Revival”—which animates historical photographs—have gone viral, demonstrating the emotional resonance that AI-generated content can achieve.
Kolars Goes Open Source: A Gift to the Community
While Kling grabbed headlines, another announcement may have even greater long-term significance. Kuaishor’s image generation model, Kolors, is being officially open-sourced.
Why Open Source Matters
In an industry where companies guard their models like trade secrets, open-sourcing is a bold move. But for Kuaishou, it aligns with a larger vision: building an ecosystem where developers, researchers, and creators can collectively push the boundaries of what’s possible.
Kolors isn’t just any image model. Trained on billions of Chinese-language data points, it’s arguably the most proficient Chinese text-to-image model available. In evaluations by China’s Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence Institute, Kolors scored 75.23, ranking second globally among text-to-image models—outperforming both open-source competitors like SDXL/SD3 and closed-source giants like Midjourney.
By open-sourcing Kolors, Kuaishou is effectively saying: “We believe the future of AI is collaborative.” The move is designed to energize the industry, attract top talent, and accelerate innovation in ways that a single company couldn’t achieve alone.
The Business Impact: Real Results, Real Money
For all the technical excitement, Kuaishou’s leadership made clear that AI isn’t just about cool demos—it’s delivering measurable business value.
Advertising and Marketing
Drawing on the KwaiYii large language model, Kuaishou has developed tools that are transforming how advertisers operate:
- Video script generation that helps creators develop compelling content faster
- Real-time live streaming scripts that keep broadcasts engaging
- AI-powered customer service for advertising leads, integrated with digital human technology
The results speak for themselves. In June 2024, peak daily spending from clients using AIGC marketing materials exceeded RMB20 million. That’s not potential; that’s actual revenue, flowing through the platform today.
Merchant Success Stories
Liu Xiao, head of Kuaishou’s External Commercialization and AI Products, shared compelling data about how AI is empowering businesses:
- Nearly 20,000 merchants have leveraged AI-powered smart operations over the past six months
- From January to June 2024, the number of monthly active AIGC customers increased eightfold
- Monthly GMV from these customers expanded 64 times
- The platform’s AIGC advertising revenue scale increased 12 times
These aren’t incremental improvements; they’re exponential leaps. And they’re happening in real time, on a platform that connects hundreds of millions of users with creators and businesses.
Tools Driving This Growth
Liu highlighted several AI-powered tools that merchants are using:
- Magnetic Creation: Helps generate and optimize content
- Nuwa Digital Human: Creates realistic digital presenters for live streaming
- Pi Digital Employee: Automates customer interactions and support
“We will continue to deepen the application of AI technology in commercialization,” Liu stated. “Constantly innovating and developing to deliver more value for our customers.”
Beyond Business: Fostering Creative Community
Kuaishou’s AI ambitions extend beyond commerce. The company is actively nurturing a creative community around its AI tools.
The “A Surge of Inspiration” Contest
At the forum, Kuaishou launched its inaugural video creation contest in partnership with six top institutions. With a prize pool exceeding RMB300,000, the contest invites creators to push Kling to its limits. Winners gain not just cash rewards but also entry into the “Kling x Astral Short Plays” creator incubation program, which offers visibility and direct access to industry professionals.
China’s First AIGC Fantasy Short Play
The trailer for “Legendary Mirrors of Mountains and Seas: Splitting Waves” premiered during the forum—China’s first original AIGC fantasy short play. Kling provided extensive technical support, demonstrating that AI-generated content is ready for primetime entertainment.
Investing in the Future: The CCF-Kuaishou Large Model Explorer Fund
Perhaps the most forward-looking announcement was the collaboration with the China Computer Federation (CCF) to establish the “CCF-Kuaishou Large Model Explorer Fund.”
The fund plans to launch 12 research projects by the end of 2024, with individual projects eligible for up to RMB300,000 in support. The focus? Addressing the rapid development of AI technology and the industry’s urgent demand for cutting-edge innovation—specifically targeting key technical research for the next generation of large models.
This isn’t charity; it’s strategic investment in the ecosystem that will shape AI’s future. By funding external research, Kuaishou gains access to ideas and talent that might otherwise remain beyond its walls.
The Vision: Reshaping Content Creation, Understanding, and Distribution
Zhang Di, Vice President of Kuaishou and head of the AI Model team, articulated the company’s philosophy:
“We are dedicated to investing in and innovating large model technology to extract true value from real-world scenarios to meet genuine user needs. Through large model technology, we aim to reshape Kuaishou’s business by enhancing understanding, innovating interaction and exploring content generation.”
This vision breaks down into three pillars:
1. Enhancing Understanding
Better AI means better comprehension of what users actually want. The recommendation large model continually refines its predictions, ensuring that content finds the right audience.
2. Innovating Interaction
From text prompts that generate video to conversational interfaces for customer service, AI is creating new ways for users to engage with the platform.
3. Exploring Content Generation
Kling and Kolors are just the beginning. As these models improve, they’ll unlock entirely new categories of content that don’t exist today.
What It All Means
Kuaishou’s WAIC showcase revealed a company that’s thinking differently about AI. Rather than treating it as a standalone product to be sold, Kuaishou is embedding AI into the fabric of its platform—using it to enhance every interaction, empower every creator, and elevate every business.
The numbers are impressive, but the trajectory is more important. Eightfold customer growth, 64x GMV expansion, 12x revenue increases—these aren’t mature markets; they’re early innings. And Kuaishou is positioning itself to lead.
Gai Kun’s closing words captured the spirit: “Kuaishou will remain committed to investing in AI, vigorously driving technological innovation and bringing users the best AI technology.”
For the hundreds of millions who use Kuaishou daily, that commitment means a platform that keeps getting smarter, more creative, and more valuable. For creators and businesses, it means tools that were science fiction just months ago are now available at their fingertips. And for anyone watching the AI landscape, it means China’s tech giants are very much in the race—and moving fast.
Want to stay updated on Kuaishou’s AI developments? Keep an eye on this space for more insights into how technology is transforming content creation.