Recently, Ren Moumou, a researcher from the company's large model team (Seed), has confirmed his resignation. According to multiple internal sources, he was officially dismissed for repeatedly leaking confidential company information. Notably, Ren Moumou has over 80,000 followers on Zhihu and frequently posted content related to ByteDance's robotics development progress, technical routes, and internal project details, which attracted significant attention and ultimately led to the company's disciplinary review.
From Engineer to "Leaker": High-profile Sharing Caused a Career Crisis
Publicly available information shows that Ren Moumou previously worked at Luoshi Technology and Xiaomi Group, and has long focused on the field of robot system integration. After joining ByteDance, his research direction focused on the integration of large models and embodied intelligence, which is a key frontier area for the company. However, he continuously shared content about ByteDance's robot projects on platforms like Zhihu under the identity of an industry insider. Although he did not directly disclose code or documents, several answers involved sensitive information such as development stages, technical choices, and team structures, which were deemed "substantial leaks" by the company.
ByteDance Reiterates the Red Line: Refuse "Paid Interviews," Severe Punishments for Violators
This incident is not isolated. Earlier on September 4, 2025, the Enterprise Discipline and Professional Ethics Committee of ByteDance had already issued Notice No. 3 of 2025, disclosing the handling of employee violations in the second quarter:
100 employees were dismissed for violating the company's red line;
18 people were publicly named, among whom 8 were transferred to judicial authorities due to suspected criminal offenses;
10 people were punished for participating in paid external interviews, as they violated the "Employee Code of Conduct" and information security regulations.
The notice specifically warned that external consulting firms often use names like "expert interviews" and "industry research" to invite employees through platforms such as Maimai, LinkedIn, and Xiaohongshu, aiming to obtain core enterprise data. The company clearly requires employees to "refuse such invitations and protect their careers."
The AI and Robotics Sector Is a High-Risk Area for Leaks
Amid the fierce competition in large models and embodied intelligence, technical details are commercial secrets. ByteDance is accelerating its robot strategy, including AI-driven home service robots and warehouse automation systems, and related development progress is highly sensitive. Ren Moumou's case highlights how companies are extremely concerned with information control in cutting-edge technology fields.
AIbase believes that this dismissal is not only a punishment for an individual but also a signal sent to the entire industry: in the era of AI arms race, confidentiality is survival. When a single Zhihu answer might leak the direction of millions of R&D investments, the tolerance of companies for "unintentional sharing" has approached zero. A technologist's professional passion must be built on the foundation of professional ethics — otherwise, even a high number of followers cannot guarantee a career.
