(Yicai Global) May 19 -- The head of Xirang, China’s first social metaverse platform launched by internet giant Baidu in December last year, has left the company, The Paper reported today. His exit might have to do with tech giants now diverting their attention to artificial-intelligence-generated content models.

Ma Jie, who was also vice president of the app which created a multiplayer interactive space connecting the virtual and real worlds, "has left Baidu," the report said. No mention was made though about whether his departure has to do with the runaway success of ChatGPT-like bots.

Xirang was marginalized by Baidu, company insiders told reporters today. Finding a profitable business model was hard in the short run and the Beijing-based firm was not willing to pour money into its metaverse business as it is now more interested in AI chatbots.

Baidu has yet to comment.

"The metaverse is in a very primary phase of industrial exploration," Ma said last December. "Development will be gradual, and the whole community needs to spend a lot of time building it up and making it mature."

Other internet giants, including Tencent Holdings, Baidu and ByteDance, have been adjusting their metaverse and extended reality programs since the end of last year. The metaverse, which was much touted at the time, has fallen out of favor as the focus shifts to large language models.

Editor: Kim Taylor