Baidu Says Its Ernie Bot 4.0 AI Is As Good As Chat GPT-4

Baidu recently unveiled the newest version of its generative AI (artificial intelligence) Ernie Bot. According to the Chinese tech giant, its AI boasts capabilities that are similar to the American AI company OpenAI's latest ChatGPT model.

The latest version of Baidu's AI chatbot was announced by the company's CEO Robin Li at the Baidu World 2023 conference in Beijing. This bold move is a major sign that China is prepping to take the AI space by storm.

At the recently concluded event, the top executive showed off Ernie's impressive ability to solve intricate puzzles and provide nuanced answers in real-time. The tech mogul went on to say that the Ernie Bot 4.0 is as good as OpenAI's widely popular GPT-4.

To recap, Baidu's Ernie Bot had reportedly outperformed ChatGPT on some metrics earlier this year. This was a significant achievement in the company's attempt to be at the forefront of the AI space.

Baidu wants to be at the forefront of China's AI revolution

Considered China's Google equivalent, Baidu has been drawing inspiration from the skyrocketing success of ChatGPT. As a result, the company has been investing aggressively in AI technology for a while now.

Undeterred by Beijing's stringent censorship and challenges presented by US sanctions on advanced chips, Baidu continues to make good progress. In fact, Ernie Bot recently surpassed a whopping 45 million users.

During the conference, Baidu put its AI bot through a series of rigorous tests. For instance, Li asked complicated questions about solving mathematical problems and buying property. As if that weren't enough, he even asked the bot to write a martial arts novel in real-time, according to a Reuters report.

Li then showcased Ernie 4.0's ability to create advertising posters and videos. These demonstrations displayed Ernie Bot's advanced reasoning, prompting, understanding and memorisation abilities.

Still riding high on the success of Ernie Bot 3.5, the tech giant has finally released its GPT-4 rival dubbed Ernie Bot 4.0. However, when Baidu introduced its AI product earlier this year, the company understandably raised a few questions about cybersecurity.

It is also worth noting that ChatGPT is currently dominating the AI segment with nearly 180 million users. The absence of foreign AI-powered products like ChatGPT in Hong Kong and mainland China has forced tech giants like Alibaba Group Holding and Baidu to come up with their own AI solutions.

Notably, Chinese authorities have introduced new guidelines and regulations in a bid to make sure AI-generated content does not contradict official narratives. Unsurprisingly, the Ernie Bot has adapted to these regulations. The bot redirects conversations when necessary and even avoids sensitive topics.

Currently, Baidu is focusing more on integrating its Ernie Bot into flagship products like maps, search, data analytics, work collaboration and file-sharing.