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Chinese Tech Giant Baidu Launches AI Competitor To DeepSeek

Chinese technology giant Baidu officially launched two new artificial intelligence (AI) models called ERNIE X1 and ERNIE 4.5, Sunday (3/16). The two latest AI models are predicted to be competitors of DeepSeek which shocked the world some time ago. 

As reported by AFP, ERNIE X1 has the same performance as DeepSeek, but is priced cheaper. Meanwhile, ERNIE 4.5 was launched as the latest foundation model. 

"As a deep-thinking reasoning model with multimodal capabilities, ERNIE X1 delivers performance equivalent to DeepSeek R1 at only half the price," Baidu wrote via X/Twitter. 

"Meanwhile, ERNIE 4.5 is the latest foundation model and a new generation of original multimodal models," he continued. 

Baidu added that ERNIE 4.5 also has excellent multimodal understanding capabilities with more advanced language capabilities. The model is also claimed to have comprehensively improved logic, understanding, and memory capabilities. 

The two latest ERNIE models are even said to have high EQ, so they have the ability to understand satirical memes that are spread on the internet. 

The giant Chinese company confirmed that ERNIE X1 and 4.5 can be accessed via their AI chatbot called ERNIE Bot. 

Both models can also be used for free two weeks earlier than the original schedule. This is because users previously had to pay a subscription fee to access these models. 

Baidu is one of the first companies in China to launch a generative AI platform publicly in 2023. However, the company's chatbot is relatively less competitive than other AI models developing in China. 

Competition in the AI ??sector is getting tighter when the start-up DeepSeek shakes things up with an AI model that has performance comparable to ChatGPT, but is made at a much cheaper cost. 

DeepSeek, which makes their R1 model open-source or can be used by other developers, has accelerated the development of AI in the world, including in China. 

Baidu has also integrated DeepSeek's R1 model into their search engine. On the other hand, Baidu also announced plans to follow in DeepSeek's footsteps by making its ERNIE (Enhanced Representation through Knowledge Integration) AI model open-source starting June 30, 2025. 

Tag: AI Competitor Chinese Tech Giant Baidu DeepSeek