Baidu, the Chinese tech giant, is set to complete testing of its chatbot project ‘Ernie Bot’ in March. Ernie Bot is a language model similar to OpenAI’s GPT-3 and is aimed at improving customer service and engagement on Baidu’s platforms. The news has resulted in a rally in Baidu’s shares, as investors react positively to the company’s latest AI initiative.
Generative artificial intelligence, technology that can create prose or other content on command and free up white-collar workers’ time, has been gathering significant venture capital investment and interest from tech firms, especially in Silicon Valley.
Defining the category is ChatGPT, a chatbot from Microsoft-backed OpenAI that has been the centre of much buzz since it was released in November. ChatGPT is not available in China but some users have found workarounds to access the service.
Microsoft Corp has a $1 billion investment in San Francisco-based OpenAI that it has looked at increasing, Reuters has reported. The company has also worked to add OpenAI’s image-generation software to its Bing search engine in a new challenge to Alphabet Inc’s Google.
Just two months after its launch, ChatGPT – which can generate articles, essays, jokes, and even poetry in response to prompts – has been rated the fastest-growing consumer app in history.
It has prompted many tech firms to double down on the heavily hyped generative AI technology, which until recently existed more in the background than as a solid contributor to the bottom line.
Google owner Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O) said on Monday it would launch a chatbot service and more AI for its search engine, while Microsoft plans its own AI reveal on Tuesday, underscoring growing rivalry to lead a new wave of computing.
Ernie Bot is expected to provide Baidu’s customers with more efficient and personalized interactions, as the AI-powered chatbot will be able to respond to customer inquiries in real-time. Baidu has been investing heavily in AI and machine learning in recent years, and Ernie Bot is seen as a major step forward for the company in this field.
Baidu’s shares have risen following the news, as investors react positively to the company’s latest AI initiative. The stock has been trading higher on the back of strong earnings reports, as well as optimism about the future of Baidu’s AI businesses.
Baidu’s commitment to AI is part of a wider trend in the technology industry, as companies look to leverage the power of machine learning and artificial intelligence to improve their products and services. With the successful launch of Ernie Bot, Baidu is well-positioned to capitalize on this trend and continue to grow its AI businesses in the years to come.
In conclusion, the completion of testing for Baidu’s Ernie Bot chatbot project and the subsequent rally in the company’s shares is a major development for the tech giant. It highlights the growing importance of AI and machine learning in the technology industry and the role that these technologies will play in shaping the future of customer service and engagement.
