The AI chatbot race is going global, as tech giant Baidu joins Google in announcing its own artificial intelligence chatbot to take on OpenAI's ChatGPT.
The new bot on the block — known in Chinese as Wenxin Yiyan, or ‘ERNIE ‘ (Enhanced Representation Through Knowledge Integration) in English — is currently in testing, but it can understand text-to-image generation, language generation, poetry, jokes, and write essays.
The news comes just a day after Google announced its own AI chatbot, Bard, which is expected to be released to the public in the “coming weeks.”
The Beijing-based company has been investing in AI technology for a while, but with ChatGPT currently unavailable in China, ERNIE already has an edge on the competition.
What Is ERNIE?
ERNIE is an AI chatbot currently in testing, designed by Beijing-based search giant, Baidu. The artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot service is reportedly very similar to ChatGPT, and can understand language and text-to-image generation.
While chatbot technology in China isn't new, ChatGPT is said to be better at professional tasks, which is why ERNIE was designed to emulate the new technology. Chatbots in China currently focus on social interaction, whereas the new technology will be better equipped to support search, businesses, and professional services.
According to Reuters, the new bot from Baidu will be released as standalone service first, then integrated with the company's search engine later this year, much like ChatGPT.
Big Tech Battling It Out in AI Takeover
Competition for AI-domination is fierce. With 90% of businesses hoping to invest in AI, and companies like Microsoft and Google, completely shifting their strategy, it's clear that AI will play an important role in most businesses.
Google is ramping up its AI development with alternative search bars, AI-powered images, and video summarizing tools, and Microsoft has already invested billions of dollars in AI-technology. But their commitment to investing in AI doesn't stop there.
Just today Microsoft announced a surprise event that we expect will reveal a ChatGPT-Bing collaboration. With Microsoft Teams Premium already using the same technology behind ChatGPT, we wouldn't be surprised. Given Google's response to the success of ChatGPT, we're sure Pichai and his team will be soon to follow.
