Qihoo 360: The Cyber Giant Behind China's Mythos Rival
Qihoo 360, a prominent Chinese cybersecurity firm, is developing a rival to the Mythos AI platform. The company leverages its extensive security expertise and data resources to build a large language model, aiming to challenge Western-dominated AI technologies and advance China's capabilities in the field.
Background
Qihoo 360 is a major Chinese cybersecurity and internet company, best known for its free antivirus software that dominates the domestic market. It was founded by Zhou Hongyi, a prominent and often controversial figure in China's tech scene. "Mythos" refers to a reported large language model (LLM) or AI initiative from Qihoo 360 aimed at rivaling Western models like GPT-4. The article positions Qihoo 360 as a key player in the intensifying US-China AI race — not just in consumer software but in national-level cyber defense and AI infrastructure. The company's shift from PC security to AI and cloud is significant because it reflects a broader trend of Chinese tech giants racing to build sovereign AI capabilities under state guidance.