ChatGPT now has a new Russian rival called GigaChat

Sberbank is Russia's largest lender and it has announced the release of GigaChat, a new AI chatbot technology that aims to rival ChatGPT. Although GigaChat is currently in invite-only testing mode, it is expected to be a challenger in the AI chatbot market soon.

The release of ChatGPT by Microsoft-backed startup OpenAI in 2022 has spurred a race in the tech industry to develop more accessible and intuitive AI technology. Sberbank's foray into this space comes at a time when Russian businesses are looking to reduce their reliance on foreign technology.

What sets GigaChat apart from its competitors, according to Sberbank, is its superior ability to communicate more intelligently in the Russian language than other foreign neural networks. This is particularly important for a country like Russia, where a significant portion of the population prefers to communicate in Russian.

Sberbank's move into AI technology is part of a broader effort by the bank to reduce Russia's reliance on imports, a process that has become more critical as Western nations have imposed sanctions on Russia over its actions in Ukraine. The bank has invested heavily in technology in recent years and hopes that GigaChat will help drive innovation and transform how people work and conduct business in Russia.

Also read: Google Brain merges with DeepMind as Alphabet plans to take on OpenAI's ChatGPT

China is not behind either

Global superpowers have realized the potential of AI and have introduced their own versions of the powerful tools. China has also entered the race with not one but two contenders. Baidu's Ernie chatbot and Alibaba's Tongyi Qianwen. Similar to the Russian alternative of ChatGPT, these Chinese AI tools will also be able to communicate in the country's native dialects. 

Also read: Google planning to use ChatGPT-like generative AI for its ads business