TikTok owner, ByteDance, says it has sacked an intern for “maliciously interfering” with the training of one of its artificial intelligence (AI) models.

But the firm rejected claims about the extent of the damage caused by the unnamed individual, saying they “contain some exaggerations and inaccuracies.”

It comes after reports about the incident spread over the weekend on social media.

The Chinese technology giant’s Doubao ChatGPT-like generative AI model is the country’s most popular AI chatbot.

“The individual was an intern with the [advertising] technology team and has no experience with the AI Lab,” ByteDance said in a statement.

“Their social media profile and some media reports contain inaccuracies.”

ByteDance clarified that its commercial online operations, including its advanced large language AI models, were not impacted by the intern’s actions.

The company also refuted claims that the incident led to more than $10 million (£7.7 million) in damages by disrupting an AI training system composed of thousands of powerful GPUs (graphics processing units).

After dismissing the intern in August, ByteDance reported the incident to the individual’s university and relevant industry bodies.

As the operator of globally popular social media apps such as TikTok and its Chinese counterpart Douyin, ByteDance is recognised for its leadership in algorithm development, which has contributed significantly to its apps’ widespread appeal.

Like other major tech firms in China and globally, ByteDance is heavily investing in artificial intelligence, utilizing the technology for various applications, including its Doubao chatbot and a text-to-video tool named Jimeng.