Baidu Shifts AI Strategy, Opens Up Ernie Model as Competition Intensifies

Researched by Gunaprasath Bupalan

The Chinese search engine giant, has announced a significant change in its AI strategy, revealing plans to make its next-generation Ernie AI model open-source from June 30th. This move comes amidst a fierce battle for dominance in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.  

Baidu CEO Robin Li had previously championed closed-source models as the most effective route for AI development. However, the emergence of competitors like DeepSeek, which offers open-source AI services comparable to OpenAI’s advanced systems but at a lower cost, has prompted a rethink.  

In a bid to boost market share, Baidu also announced that its AI chatbot, Ernie Bot, will become free to use from April 1st, approximately 18 months after the introduction of premium versions. This follows Baidu’s earlier heavy investment in AI after the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in 2022. Despite these efforts, Ernie has struggled to achieve widespread adoption, although Baidu claims its current version, Ernie 4.0, rivals GPT-4’s capabilities.  

Data from AI product tracker Aicpb.com shows that ByteDance’s Doubao chatbot currently leads in monthly active users in China with 78.6 million, followed by DeepSeek with 33.7 million, while Ernie Bot has 13 million (as of January).

“We will gradually launch the Ernie 4.5 series in the coming months and officially open-source it from June 30,” Baidu stated in a WeChat post.  

This shift towards open-source development appears to represent a change of heart for Li, who recently told an audience in Dubai that open-sourcing could accelerate AI adoption. “If you open things up, a lot of people will be curious enough to try it. This will help spread the technology much faster,” he explained.

Looking ahead, Baidu is reportedly planning to launch its next-generation model, Ernie 5, in the latter half of 2025. This move suggests that the company is committed to remaining a key player in the increasingly competitive AI arena.

Source: reuters.com