Chinese internet giant Baidu is making its advanced AI chatbot, Ernie Bot, free to users starting April 1st. This move comes as competition intensifies in the global AI development landscape, spurred by the success of startups like DeepSeek. Ernie Bot, featuring AI painting and other premium functionalities, will be accessible on both mobile and desktop platforms without charge. This announcement follows OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman's reveal of GPT-5's roadmap, promising unlimited free access to ChatGPT users, with paid subscribers gaining access to a 'higher level of intelligence.'
Baidu also plans to launch its next-generation AI model by the end of June, making it open source, similar to DeepSeek's approach. Additionally, Ernie's Deep Search function, known for its enhanced reasoning and expert-level responses, will also be available for free in April.
These strategic shifts reflect the growing pressure on Baidu and other Chinese firms in the competitive AI market, especially after DeepSeek's R1 AI model demonstrated comparable performance to industry leaders at a significantly lower cost. Baidu's decision to offer Ernie Bot for free and embrace open-source development signals a new phase in the global AI race.