Baidu's latest move in the tech industry is set to shake things up, but it looks like it is on a rough start.
The Chinese search engine giant has just unveiled its very own AI Mate chatbot, which promises to compete with the likes of OpenAI's ChatGPT. Moreover, this chatbot has already been integrated into Baidu's flagship online search product, South China Morning Post reports.
Critical Differences with Major Rivals
While AI Mate has been compared to Microsoft's Bing Chat, which employs OpenAI's technology, some key differences exist. Baidu's chatbot relies heavily on local resources, which may have caused some inaccurate responses during early tests.
According to reports, AI Mate is currently seeking feedback from users in order to improve its accuracy. However, the chatbot appears to steer clear of politically charged topics and only references domestic sources.
In fact, when put to the test, AI Mate was found to be citing outdated and unreliable sources, unlike Bing Chat, which cited more credible sources such as CNBC. Despite this, Baidu has yet to respond to requests for comment.
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The launch of AI Mate signals Baidu's ambitions to become a major player in the chatbot market. With China's vast user base and growing demand for AI-powered tools, it will be interesting to see how Baidu's new chatbot will fare against its competitors.
An Underwhelming Introduction to the Chinese AI Bot
Reviewers praised Baidu's much-anticipated ChatGPT rival, Ernie Bot, for its Chinese language skills back in March.
According to reports, this flipped around the bot's initial disappointment and propelled the company's stock price up by 15% in Hong Kong at the time.
Others, however, claimed that Baidu's presentation of Ernie underwhelmed users. This is due to the company's decision to bring copious slides and pre-recorded videos showing Ernie doing its job rather than a live demonstration of its abilities.
Challenges from the Mainland
SCMP reports that Chinese tech companies are facing a challenging balancing act as they navigate Beijing's efforts to regulate generative AI services while simultaneously reaping the benefits of these cutting-edge technologies.
Baidu's AI chatbot, dubbed AI Mate, is a prime example of these companies' limitations and challenges as they strive to comply with new draft rules recently published by the Cyberspace Administration of China.
Reuters tells us that these rules require companies that provide generative AI services in China to uphold socialist values and avoid generating content that promotes regime subversion, violence, or pornography.
Additionally, companies must avoid content that disrupts economic or social order. Despite these challenges, other Chinese tech firms such as Alibaba Group Holding, SenseTime, and iFlyTek have also launched their own AI chatbot services.
Baidu's launch of its AI Mate chatbot shows that Chinese tech companies are working hard to compete in the generative AI services market while complying with China's regulations.
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