Baidu Launches Even More AI Apps After the ERNIE Bot

On Tuesday, the Chinese technology giant Baidu unveiled over 10 new AI-driven applications, shortly after making its ERNIE bot, similar to ChatGPT, available to the public.

Related: ChatGPT Rival: Baidu, Chinese Search Giant, Launches a Competitor to the Sensational Chatbot

One of the highlights among these product launches was WPS AI, an integrated word processing application that incorporates generative AI technology. This innovative tool was developed by Kingsoft Office, a company listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange. Kingsoft Office utilized the same AI model that powers Baidu's ERNIE bot, along with Baidu's "Qianfan" cloud platform designed for AI models, as stated in a press release.

Baidu asserted that nearly 10,000 businesses actively utilize its Qianfan cloud platform every month.

Baidu additionally disclosed that over 6 million users have utilized an AI-driven tool integrated into its cloud product, akin to Google Drive. Baidu asserted that this AI assistant possesses the capability to search through documents, provide text summaries, offer translations, and generate content.

During the Tuesday event, Baidu also showcased generative AI-powered products designed to aid in tasks such as traffic management, financial research, and coal mine logistics.

The extent of public accessibility for these products wasn't immediately evident.

On August 31st, Baidu made its ERNIE bot accessible to the general public, indicating government approval for this AI-powered chatbot. Concurrently, other Chinese companies also introduced similar AI products.

Baidu initially unveiled the ERNIE bot back in March, but its initial access was restricted to business partners and individuals who had to join a waiting list.

The new Chinese regulations, effective as of August 15th, specify that the "interim" rules won't be enforced on companies developing AI technology, as long as their product isn't made widely available to the public. This represents a more lenient stance compared to a draft released in April, which proposed applying rules even during the research phase.

It's worth noting that ChatGPT, developed by Microsoft-backed OpenAI, is not officially accessible in China due to the country's restrictions, where platforms like Google and Facebook are also blocked.

Source: Evelyn Cheng for CNBC