China’s Baidu ERNIE Bot has emerged as the top Chinese AI chatbot, according to a ranking by Super Clue. The chatbot, which has over 100 million users, is based on Baidu’s internally developed large language model and can generate text, images, and videos. It operates primarily in Mandarin Chinese but can also handle English queries to a lesser extent. ERNIE Bot was developed based on the ERNIE (Enhanced Representation through Knowledge Integration) and PLATO (Pre-trained Dialogue Generation Model) series models and incorporates technologies such as supervised fine-tuning, reinforcement learning with human feedback, prompt learning, knowledge enhancement, retrieval enhancement, and dialogue enhancement. China has become one of the first countries to regulate generative AI with its new AI Law, and the Cyberspace Administration of China has also released guidelines on the technology. Baidu, which is valued at around $42 billion, is one of the largest AI and internet companies in the world.
Microsoft is an important strategic partner for Baidu in the AI space. The company has investments in both ERNIE Bot (via Bing search) and OpenAI. The market for generative AI is expensive, and the choice of strategic ecosystem partners is crucial. Microsoft’s involvement in AI solutioning makes it a top choice for business executives looking to leverage chatbot technology. On the other hand, Google’s AI/ML toolkits, including Google Bard, are being used by financial institutions like the Bank of Nova Scotia. The generative AI race is in full swing, and Baidu is positioned to capture the Asian market. The article also mentions emerging players like Anthropica and Cohere, which could potentially make significant advancements in AI in 2024. Meanwhile, Microsoft’s valuation is set to grow as AI and generative AI-driven gains could push its market capitalization to over $3 trillion, putting it in the same league as Apple.