China’s Baidu Enters the AI Arena with New Model and Free Chatbot
Baidu, the Chinese internet search leader, has unveiled a new artificial intelligence reasoning model and made its AI chatbot services free to consumers. This move comes as the tech sector in China experiences intense competition.
Baidu has launched new AI models and made its AI chatbot, Ernie Bot, free for users. ADEK BERRY/AFP/AFP
Competition has been rapidly increasing among Chinese tech companies since the release of DeepSeek’s highly efficient open-source model in January. Baidu’s recent announcements include the launch of the X1 reasoning model and the Ernie 4.5 foundation model.
The X1 model is designed to rival DeepSeek’s performance while operating at a lower cost. Baidu also made its Ernie Bot free for individual users over two weeks ahead of schedule. Previously, users had to subscribe to access the company’s latest AI models through Ernie Bot.
Baidu claims that Ernie 4.5 outperforms OpenAI’s GPT-4.5 model in various benchmarks. The X1 model is designed with advanced capabilities in understanding, planning, reflection, and evolution. Baidu was one of the first Chinese companies to launch a generative AI platform to the public in 2023. However, competitors like ByteDance and Moonshot AI have since gained significant ground.
DeepSeek’s model has also been integrated into Baidu’s search engine. Other tech giants, such as Tencent and Alibaba, are also investing heavily in AI development. Tencent has released a new model, while Alibaba plans to invest billions in AI and cloud computing over the next three years.
Baidu is also planning to release its Ernie AI models as open-source from June 30, mirroring DeepSeek’s strategy. This move is expected to intensify the ongoing competition in the Chinese AI landscape.
