Baidu Launches ChatGPT Competitor ‘Ernie Bot’ in China
Baidu, China's tech behemoth, has officially rolled out its AI chatbot, Ernie Bot, after securing the green light from the Chinese government.
Available for download from app stores and Baidu's website, Ernie Bot is designed to answer questions, assist in market analysis, and even brainstorm marketing slogans. But there's a catch: you'll need a Chinese phone number to register. The app is also available in the U.S. but only in the Chinese language. Within just 19 hours of its launch, Ernie Bot amassed over a million users.
A million users in 19 hours? Not bad for a chatbot named after a Sesame Street character. Jokes aside, I wouldn’t underestimate Baidu for a second. Ernie Bot failed to impress during its early demo, but this revamped version has major promise.
The company isn't stopping there. Baidu plans to introduce a range of AI-native apps that will showcase generative AI's capabilities in understanding, generation, reasoning, and memory. CEO Robin Li sees this as an opportunity to gather "massive valuable, real-world human feedback" to refine Ernie Bot further.
However, the journey hasn't been smooth sailing. Baidu's initial demo of Ernie Bot fell flat, disappointing investors with prerecorded videos. Before launching, Baidu had to undergo rigorous security assessments and prove its compliance with China's generative AI guidelines. These guidelines mandate that companies must "adhere to core values of socialism" and use government-approved training data.
Other companies like SenseTime, Baichuan Intelligent Technology, Zhipu AI, and MiniMax also received the nod from the Chinese government to operate under these guidelines. So, while Ernie Bot is making waves, it's also navigating a complex regulatory landscape.
