Chinese tech giant Baidu has launched two new AI models, ERNIE X1 and ERNIE 4.5, designed to compete with DeepSeek.
ERNIE X1 offers performance comparable to DeepSeek R1 at half the cost, while ERNIE 4.5 is a new multimodal foundation model with enhanced language and reasoning capabilities.
These models are accessible via Baidu's ERNIE Bot, with free access available ahead of schedule.
China sees AI as a key competitive advantage, driving integration of models like DeepSeek's R1 into various sectors, including automotive (Geely Auto), smartphones (Huawei, Oppo, Xiaomi), healthcare, and government services. DeepSeek is also being utilized in hospitals for diagnostics and document management, improving accuracy and efficiency. Experts emphasize that AI adoption in government demonstrates strategic support for technological advancement.