[DigitalToday reporter Hwang Chi-gyu (황치규)] Baidu’s generative AI assistant Ernie Assistant has surpassed 200 million monthly active users, the Wall Street Journal reported on Jan. 20 local time, citing sources familiar with internal matters.
Ernie Assistant is integrated into Baidu’s flagship search app and its PC version. It also links with major Chinese lifestyle platforms such as Meituan, JD.com and Trip.com. Users can book flights, order food delivery and search for health and legal information, among other tasks.
Ernie Assistant also supports video and image generation and writing summaries. Users can choose one of several AI models, including Baidu’s own Ernie model and DeepSeek.
Competition in China’s generative AI market is as intense as in the United States. Alibaba recently connected its chatbot Qwen to large consumer service networks in e-commerce, finance and logistics so it can automate a range of tasks. The Qwen app surpassed 100 million monthly active users within 2 months of its launch in November last year.
Baidu launched Ernie Bot, a chatbot similar to ChatGPT, in 2023, the first to do so in China.
Hwang Chi-gyu
delight@d-today.co.kr