Baidu, the Chinese technological giant, has presented its new artificial intelligence models, Ernie 4.5 and Ernie X1, which enhance performance and language comprehension, in addition to their accessibility, as they are in an open-source format.
With this launch, which has occurred earlier than expected, the company aims to compete with models such as ChatGPT and DeepSeek R1, consolidating its leadership in the AI market in China.
The launch was announced on Sunday, the 16th, via Baidu’s official account on X: “We have just presented ERNIE 4.5 and X1! 🚀
As a deep reasoning model with multimodal capabilities, ERNIE X1 offers performance comparable to that of DeepSeek R1 at only half the price. On the other hand, ERNIE 4.5 is our latest base model and a next-generation multimodal native model.
Additionally, our AI chatbot, ERNIE Bot, is now available free of charge for individual users in advance. Both models are available for free to all ERNIE Bot users through their official website: https://yiyan.baidu.com”.
Ernie X1 is positioned as a deep reasoning model with advanced capabilities in multiple areas, including language comprehension, planning, and managing complex tasks. Baidu has highlighted that its performance is comparable to DeepSeek R1, but with a significantly lower cost, making it a competitive option for companies and developers.
This model is based on an optimized architecture that allows for faster inferences with lower resource consumption. Furthermore, its design facilitates integration with different AI applications, expanding its potential use in sectors such as business automation, data analysis, and content generation.
As specified by the company itself via X, prices for Ernie X1 for companies and developers will be $0.31 per million input tokens and $1.21 per million output tokens. The model will be available in the upcoming months through the Baidu AI Cloud MaaS Qianfan platform, facilitating its integration into different applications.
Baidu ensures that this low pricing aims to democratize access to advanced technologies, allowing more companies to benefit from artificial intelligence without incurring unreachable costs, something common with these types of AI tools.
Ernie 4.5 is Baidu’s new base model, with improvements in content generation, memory, logic, and reduction of hallucinations in AI responses. Its optimized architecture allows for more natural integration into business applications and digital tools. Among its advances is its ability to interpret memes and cartoons, making it ideal for use on social networks and digital marketing.
As explained by the company on X, “Ernie 4.5 achieves collaborative optimization through joint modeling of multiple modalities, demonstrating comprehensive improvements in understanding, generation, reasoning, and memory, along with notable enhancements in hallucination prevention, logical reasoning, and coding skills”. The text is accompanied by a performance comparison graph of its new AI with Chat GPT 4:
Prices for business use start at $0.61 per million input tokens and $2.42 per million output tokens.
Baidu has pre-announced free access to their chatbot Ernie Bot for individual users, allowing anyone to use Ernie 4.5 and Ernie X1 through their official platform. Moreover, the company plans to expand the integration of these models into services like Baidu Search, the Wenxiaoyan app, and other products from its ecosystem.
Additionally, Baidu plans to release the code of their models starting June 30, allowing developers and companies to leverage their technology to create customized solutions. With this decision, the company joins the open-source trend that is crucial in the evolution of generative AI, fostering collaboration and innovation in the sector.
The Chinese artificial intelligence market is rapidly expanding, with startups such as DeepSeek gaining prominence thanks to efficient and low-cost models. Baidu, as one of the most established players, has opted for an aggressive strategy based on accessibility and the openness of its models, with the objective of maintaining its leadership.
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