Zhang Yiming Tells ByteDance Not to Take Shortcuts with 'Model Distillation': Why Can't Companies Just Rewrite Competitors' Websites with AI?
Starting from Zhang Yiming's rejection of the model distillation shortcut, this article discusses why companies cannot simply use AI to rewrite competitors' corporate websites. A website that truly attracts traffic, generates inquiries, and wins customers relies on original structure, authentic business information, and sustained growth—not on piecing together content.
Let me start with a conclusion: shortcuts aren't entirely off-limits, but if you rely on them too long, you'll lose yourself in the process.
When Zhang Yiming talks about "model distillation," he isn't really discussing technical details—he's talking about something bigger: true competition isn't about being the first to copy the result, but about whether you can build your own capabilities.
The same logic applies to companies using AI to build their official websites.
When many people start building a website, their first instinct isn't "what do I really want to say," but "let me see how competitors did it."
Then they have AI rewrite it. Change the headline, tweak the wording, swap in some synonyms.
It looks fast, but it's actually dangerous.
Because what you end up with isn't a website—it's a smoother version of homogenized copy.
AI can help you move faster, but it can't decide your direction.
Model distillation can save time, but it can't create a real technical moat.
Likewise, rewriting competitors can save your brainpower, but it can't produce a website that converts, ranks, and compounds value over the long term.
In one sentence: AI can help you build a website, but it can't help you "copy out" a competitive brand.
Why "Just Rewriting Competitors" Often Backfires
The problem with many corporate websites isn't that they're written poorly—it's that they look too much like everyone else.
On the surface, this approach seems reasonable:
- Competitors have already validated the themes
- Competitors already have content structures
- Competitors already know which keywords get searched
- Just modify a version—saves time and effort
But here's the thing: a website isn't an abstract of a paper where you just restructure someone else's sentences.
A website needs to handle: brand awareness, search traffic, trust-building, and lead conversion.
If you only rewrite competitors, you'll typically face these consequences:
- Content homogenization: Everything reads the same; users can't remember you.
- Keyword collision: Everyone fights over the same terms, and nobody stands out.
- Inauthentic information: It looks complete, but there are no real case studies, processes, or advantages of your own.
- Weak conversion: Users walk away thinking, "Oh, just another one of those."
- Poor long-term assets: Content never accumulates into your proprietary material, and it gets harder as you go.
A Simple Comparison
| Approach | Short-Term Feel | Long-Term Results |
|---|---|---|
| Just rewriting competitors | Fast, safe, looks decent | Homogenized, no memorable identity, hard to convert |
| Rewriting based on real business | A bit slower | More like yourself, builds brand and search equity |
| AI-assisted original creation | Requires upfront thinking | Fast AND compounds into assets |
The worst thing for a website isn't being "slow to write"—it's being "as forgettable as air."
When AI Writes Your Website, What You Should Copy Isn't Competitors—It's the "Question Structure"
Companies using AI to write websites doesn't mean they can't reference competitors.
You can—and you should.
But the focus of reference shouldn't be the copy itself; it should be the question structure.
What you should be copying:
- What users are actually asking
- Why they search for this term
- What they fear most
- What they want to see immediately
- Whether they're comparing, asking for quotes, or ready to buy
In other words, AI should help you not with "rewriting," but with reorganizing information, filling in expression gaps, and improving efficiency.
This is very similar to what Zhang Yiming said about "not taking the distillation shortcut."
Distillation isn't absolutely forbidden. The problem is, if you make it your only approach, you become more and more dependent on answers others have provided.
The same goes for websites.
If you always take answers from competitors, you'll only become more and more like them.
A Corporate Website Isn't a Content Collage—It's a Growth Asset
Many business owners treat their website as a "storefront."
That's only half right.
A truly useful website today needs to do at least four things:
- Build: Clearly explain your brand and products.
- Showcase: Display case studies, capabilities, services, and work.
- Grow: Continuously win traffic through SEO / GEO / content.
- Leads: Turn traffic into inquiries, registrations, bookings, and orders.
If it's just "pretty," it's merely a storefront.
If it consistently generates leads, that's an asset.
This is also where We0 AI places greater emphasis.
We0 AI doesn't just "generate a page" for you—it helps you turn your website into an asset that showcases, grows, and acquires customers.
Why Rewriting Competitors Usually Doesn't Produce a True Website
Because competitors' content only solves the question of "how they wrote things back then."
But your website needs to answer: "who am I, really?"
These are two different questions.
A corporate website should include at least this real information:
- What exactly you do
- Who you serve
- How you're different from others
- What your strongest scenarios are
- How you deliver
- What case studies you have
- How you guarantee results
If none of this exists, no matter how well AI can rewrite, it's just polishing empty words into smoother empty words.
Rewriting Competitors vs. Writing Your Own Website
| Dimension | Rewriting Competitors | Writing Your Own Website |
|---|---|---|
| Content source | Others' expressions | Your own business and case studies |
| SEO value | Short-term content filler | Long-term accumulation of long-tail keywords |
| Trust factor | Average | Higher |
| Conversion ability | Weak | Strong |
| Brand identity | Blurry | Clear |
A website that truly closes deals must carry the fingerprints of your business.
AI Isn't a Replacement for Originality—It's an Amplifier of Originality
Here's the most common misunderstanding: many people think AI = rapidly producing content.
That's not it.
More accurately, AI is an amplifier.
If you already have a clear positioning, real case studies, and distinct selling points, AI helps you produce faster, test faster, and iterate faster.
But if you have nothing to begin with, AI will simply amplify the emptiness faster.
So the most reliable way to build website content isn't "copy first, then edit"—it's:
- First, clarify your real business
- Then, map user search intent
- Then, design structure and messaging
- Finally, let AI speed up production
That's the right path.
What We0 AI Can Do Here
We0 AI isn't suited for "just want an empty shell page" needs.
It's better suited for:
- Brand websites
- Product websites
- Service pages
- Case study pages
- Portfolios
- Lead generation pages
- Launch pages
- Multilingual display pages
Its focus isn't "fast output, lots of pages"—it's turning a website into something that truly grows over time.
If you have your own business, your own customers, your own case studies, We0 AI can help organize these into a clearer website structure, then continue into SEO, GEO, content updates, page optimization, and lead generation.
It's not about finishing a website—it's about starting from a website.
A Content Strategy That Works for Corporate Websites: Don't Copy Sentences, Copy Frameworks
If you're about to use AI to write your website right now, use this approach:
- First, list your real products / services
- Then, list the questions customers most frequently search
- Then, organize your own case studies, processes, and results
- Then, compare what competitors are missing
- Finally, let AI generate structured content for you
This way, your website won't look like copy-paste.
An Executable Mini-Framework
- Homepage: Who you are, what problem you solve for whom
- Product pages: What exactly you sell and how
- Case studies: What you've accomplished
- FAQ: What users ask most
- Blog: Continuously cover search terms
- Contact page: Let people know how to find you
This structure is worth far more than "swapping the words on a competitor's website."
The Core of the Matter: Don't Treat AI as a Shortcut—Treat It as a Lever
What Zhang Yiming opposes isn't just distillation.
What he opposes is this: when you turn a shortcut into a roadmap, you end up abandoning true accumulation.
The same applies to companies using AI to write websites.
You can use AI to speed up, you can use AI to refine expression, you can use AI to help find structure.
But don't let AI
Let us do the most important step for you: figure out who you are and why you deserve to be remembered.
If this step is skipped, it won't matter how fast your website is built.
If this step is done right, AI actually becomes valuable.
Conclusion
When AI writes a website, the biggest fear isn't speed — it's copying others too quickly.
A truly valuable website is not a rewritten version of your competitors' sites, but your own business expression, search structure, and conversion path.
This is what We0 AI emphasizes:
Not just "making a page," but building a website that showcases, grows, and generates leads.
FAQ
1. Why can't a business simply rewrite competitors' content when using AI to build its website?
Because rewriting competitors only gives you smoother homogenized content — it won't give you your business differentiators, case studies, or conversion advantages.
2. Will AI content hurt SEO?
No — it's not inherently bad just because it's AI-generated. What matters is whether the content is original, whether it genuinely answers user questions, and whether it provides value.
3. What matters more for a website — design or content?
Content and structure matter more. Design handles the first impression; content handles search, trust, and conversion.
4. What kind of websites is We0 AI best suited for?
It's best for showcase-style websites: brand sites, product sites, service pages, case study pages, portfolios, inquiry pages, and multilingual pages.
5. How can you tell if a website has just copied competitors?
If the content is a superficial rebrand, lacks real case studies, and has no distinct process or point of view, then yes — it's just a rewrite.
Related Tools
- Website Structure Planning
- SEO Content Strategy
- Multilingual Website Building
- Case Study & Service Page Design
- Lead Conversion Page Optimization
References
- Guancha: Zhang Yiming's remarks at Seed team: ByteDance won't take the shortcut of model distillation
- Sina Finance: Zhang Yiming speaks out: Even if temporarily behind, ByteDance's Seed won't take the shortcut of model distillation
- Google Search Central: AI content guidance
Ready to get started?
If you don't want to settle for a page that merely "looks like a website,"
but want to build a site that showcases, grows, and generates leads,
start with We0 AI.