CHINA: Baidu, a prominent Chinese tech company, has launched its own AI-powered chatbot, known as Ernie Bot.
The company presented the bot during a livestreamed event but disappointed investors with its limited interactive features and lack of a public launch.
Unlike OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which launched as a free chatbot for public use, Ernie Bot is only available to a selected group of users with invitation codes, while companies can apply to embed the bot into their products through Baidu’s cloud platform.
Despite the lukewarm reception, Baidu’s bot is seen as a strong rival to ChatGPT and is based on the company’s AI-driven deep learning model, Enhanced Representation through Knowledge Integration (Ernie).
Baidu is considered a leader in China’s race to develop generative AI technology to rival Microsoft’s ChatGPT, which can create new text, imagery, and other content based on past data inputs.
During the presentation, Baidu CEO Robin Li acknowledged that Ernie Bot was not perfect but emphasized the company’s commitment to AI research and development.
He also noted that Ernie Bot would be used to revolutionize Baidu’s search engine and increase efficiency in the cloud, smart cars, and household appliances. Over 30,000 corporate users have already applied to test the bot’s business-facing edition, according to Baidu.
While some investors were disappointed with the presentation, Charlie Chai, an analyst with 86Research, views Baidu as the best bet in China’s AI space and encourages investors to hold BIDU shares. He also pointed out that 650 companies have expressed interest in joining the Ernie Bot ecosystem.
In conclusion, Baidu’s launch of Ernie Bot represents a significant development in China’s generative AI race and could potentially rival the likes of ChatGPT.
Despite disappointing investors with its limited interactive features and lack of public launch, the company remains committed to AI research and development and sees Ernie Bot as a key component in revolutionizing its services.
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