Chinese search engine giant Baidu has launched two updated AI models—Ernie 4.5 and Ernie X1—in a bid to bolster its competitive edge in the artificial intelligence market.
The new models were unveiled as part of the company’s ongoing efforts to refine its foundational AI technology and address emerging challenges in the industry.
Ernie 4.5 is the latest iteration of Baidu’s foundational model, first introduced two years ago. The update is designed to enhance the model’s emotional intelligence, enabling it to better understand memes and satire—a feature that Baidu claims sets it apart in its ability to interpret cultural nuances. In parallel, the company has introduced Ernie X1, a reasoning model that Baidu asserts performs “on par with DeepSeek R1 at only half the price.” Both models boast multimodal capabilities, meaning they can process not just text but also video, images, and audio.
Despite being one of the first Chinese companies to roll out a competitor to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Baidu has reportedly struggled to secure widespread adoption of its earlier models. Meanwhile, DeepSeek has recently unsettled American investors by launching similarly powerful models at significantly lower costs, intensifying competition in the global AI landscape.
Looking ahead, Baidu is not resting on its laurels. CNBC previously reported that the company is gearing up to release its next-generation model, Ernie 5, later this year, which is expected to bring further improvements in multimodal processing and overall performance.
As Baidu continues to evolve its AI offerings, the latest launches reflect the company’s commitment to innovation amid a rapidly changing technological environment, where performance and cost efficiency remain key battlegrounds.
China released a white paper on COVID-19 prevention, control and origins tracing on Wednesday, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported, lauding its own contributions while casting doubts on the United States.
China has renewed its call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and demanded that Israel cease its military operations in Lebanon and Syria, warning of escalating instability across the Middle East.
A restaurant fire in northeast China killed 22 people and injured three others on Tuesday, state broadcaster CCTV reported, without giving any details on the cause of the blaze.
Germany is steadily losing export market share to China within the European Union, according to a report released Monday by the KfW Development Bank.
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U.S. Treasury primary dealers want Congress to scrap the federal debt ceiling, warning in new TBAC minutes that the limit lifts borrowing costs, fuels market turmoil and could weaken the dollar’s reserve-currency standing.
Russia and North Korea on Wednesday launched construction of a road bridge between the two countries that will span the Tumannaya river, marking strategic partnership between the two countries, Russia's prime minister said.
Canada’s economy contracted 0.2 % in February, its first monthly decline since November, as slumps in mining, oil and gas extraction, and construction dragged overall output lower, Statistics Canada said.
U.S. President Donald Trump is closing in on a minerals deal with Ukraine, part of his plan to end the war.
Romanians vote Sunday in a rerun presidential election with far-right eurosceptic George Simion leading the polls, a potential upset that could unsettle markets and raise alarms in the EU and NATO.
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North Korea has launched a new 5,000-tonne destroyer as part of Kim Jong Un’s plans to expand the country’s naval power far beyond its coastal waters.
Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket suffered a technical failure after launch on Tuesday, causing a Lockheed Martin satellite to crash into the Pacific Ocean.
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A hospital in southern Germany has begun using drones to fly blood samples between sites, significantly cutting delivery times and ensuring reliability regardless of road traffic conditions.
Amazon launched the first 27 satellites for its Kuiper broadband internet project on Monday, marking the start of its long-delayed effort to rival SpaceX’s Starlink and provide global internet coverage from space.
President Donald Trump is pressuring Apple to move iPhone manufacturing from China to the United States. But supply chain experts say the plan faces massive barriers built over decades.
U.S. Treasury primary dealers want Congress to scrap the federal debt ceiling, warning in new TBAC minutes that the limit lifts borrowing costs, fuels market turmoil and could weaken the dollar’s reserve-currency standing.
Russia and North Korea on Wednesday launched construction of a road bridge between the two countries that will span the Tumannaya river, marking strategic partnership between the two countries, Russia's prime minister said.
Canada’s economy contracted 0.2 % in February, its first monthly decline since November, as slumps in mining, oil and gas extraction, and construction dragged overall output lower, Statistics Canada said.
U.S. President Donald Trump is closing in on a minerals deal with Ukraine, part of his plan to end the war.
Romanians vote Sunday in a rerun presidential election with far-right eurosceptic George Simion leading the polls, a potential upset that could unsettle markets and raise alarms in the EU and NATO.
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