In the face of escalating competition from domestic startups like DeepSeek and global entities such as OpenAI, Baidu has announced plans to release its next-generation AI model, Ernie 5, in the second half of 2025. Ernie 5 is expected to feature multimodal capabilities, enabling it to process and convert between text, video, images, and audio.
This announcement comes on the heels of DeepSeek’s recent release of its open-source AI model, R1, which has garnered considerable attention for its impressive reasoning capabilities and cost-effectiveness. DeepSeek’s focus on accessibility and efficiency is likely appealing to a broader range of developers and researchers.
Baidu’s response underscores its determination to remain at the forefront of AI innovation, ensuring it is not outpaced in the race to deliver powerful yet affordable AI solutions. This competition is expected to drive further advancements in the field, benefiting consumers and businesses alike in the long run.
