TikTok's For You algorithm is pretty clearly based on YouTube and Netflix's published recommendation platforms, but I'm not sure why you're framing this so narrowly. The entire product is a Vine clone and they regularly steal content for marketing purposes (c.f. https://twitter.com/xTempex/status/1182185566999318529).
We don't really see this level of abuse from American or European firms who have ethnically Chinese executives. It's not really a matter of race; it's a corporate culture that is more common in highly-competitive markets with weak IP protections. Trying to frame it as racist isn't really productive, especially since the parent comment wasn't specifically talking about Han Chinese, but about the nation.
> TikTok's For You algorithm is pretty clearly based on YouTube and Netflix's published recommendation platforms
This is true of virtually any recommendation system implemented anywhere and YouTube and Netflix most certainly did not invent any of the basic concepts involved. In fact the core algorithms for recommendations are very classic and the newest techniques can be credited to Microsoft research and Geoff Hinton.
There is nothing wrong with being culturalist, to be so is absolutely not racist. A black, white, etc orphan child raised in communist China, would grow up in the same culture, with the same beliefs.
Those that decry 'racist', when one complains about China are indeed the true racists, for they think culture and race = the same thing.
They take it a step further by conflating the CCP with Chinese people, Chinese culture and the Chinese nation. This is a tactic I frequently see where proponents of the CCP seek to call any criticism or skepticism racist.
I think the parent comment was talking about innovation in the sense of Peter Thiel's idea of Zero-to-One innovations, not step-by-step improvements of existing technology. In this sense I agree because chinese culture is indeed seeking harmony and unity a lot and thereby seems prone to groupthink and to the detriment of new and different ideas. (Heresy and novelty, anyone?).
TikTok's For You algorithm is pretty clearly based on YouTube and Netflix's published recommendation platforms, but I'm not sure why you're framing this so narrowly. The entire product is a Vine clone and they regularly steal content for marketing purposes (c.f. https://twitter.com/xTempex/status/1182185566999318529).
We don't really see this level of abuse from American or European firms who have ethnically Chinese executives. It's not really a matter of race; it's a corporate culture that is more common in highly-competitive markets with weak IP protections. Trying to frame it as racist isn't really productive, especially since the parent comment wasn't specifically talking about Han Chinese, but about the nation.