A person with knowledge of the issue claims that Baidu Inc. is getting ready to introduce a chatbot service using artificial intelligence that will compete with OpenAI’s ChatGPT. This may be China’s most notable entry in the race brought on by the tech boom.
The largest search engine business in China plans to introduce a ChatGPT-style program in March, initially incorporating it into its core search services, according to the individual, who asked to remain anonymous to discuss private information. Users of the unnamed tool will be able to obtain conversational search results similar to those provided by OpenAI’s well-liked platform.
In an ongoing drive to shift from online marketing to more complex technology, Baidu has invested billions of dollars in AI research. According to the source, the company’s next ChatGPT-like product would be built on the Ernie system, a sizable machine-learning model that has been trained on data over several years. An official from Baidu declined to comment.
Since its release to the public in November, ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence application from OpenAI, has ignited a discussion about the use of AI in workplaces, families, and schools. It has racked up more than a million users in a matter of days. While others are relying on the hype to raise money, companies like Microsoft Corp. are investing billions to try and develop practical applications. Following the announcement that it would be utilizing ChatGPT in its programming, Buzzfeed Inc.’s stock price more than doubled this month.
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., Tencent Holdings Ltd., ByteDance Ltd., Baidu, and other companies control a significant section of the Chinese internet. The search company has been attempting to revive development in the mobile era after slipping behind its bigger competitors in areas like mobile advertising, video, and social media. In addition to its AI research, the world’s largest search engine is now focusing on autonomous driving technologies.
During an internal meeting in December, according to a transcript, Baidu Chief Executive Officer Robin Li cited ChatGPT as an instance of a situation where the internet giant might take the initiative.
He is very happy that so many people are interested in the technologies that we think about every day. That’s not simple, he declared. He cautioned, though, that commercializing generative AI by turning it into a “product that everyone needs” could be difficult.
Chinese internet users were equally interested in ChatGPT, and like internet users everywhere, they posted screenshots of amusing discussions they had with the AI bot on local social media. That’s true despite a domestic internet that is severely regulated and generally cut off from the rest of the world, a paradigm that has allowed businesses like Baidu to flourish as regional alternatives for Google, Amazon, and Facebook.
Several Chinese businesses, in addition to Baidu, are investigating generative AI, and they have drawn the interest of investors including Sequoia and Sinovation Ventures.
