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Investing.com-- Chinese tech giant Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU) (9888.HK) is set to launch the next version of its artificial intelligence model, in the second half of 2025 as it faces increasing competition in the AI sector, CNBC reported on Wednesday citing a source familiar with the matter
The next version, Ernie 5, will introduce enhanced multimodal capabilities, enabling it to process and convert between text, video, images, and audio, the report stated.
The upgrade comes as Baidu attempts to strengthen its position in China’s AI race, where newer players like DeepSeek are making significant strides, CNBC’s report said.
DeepSeek gained attention recently with a reasoning model that challenges OpenAI’s GPT while maintaining lower operational costs, sparking concerns about Baidu’s ability to keep up.
Reuters also reported the news citing a person with direct knowledge of the matter.
Although Baidu was an early mover in China’s AI market, its Ernie large language model has struggled to gain widespread traction, trailing behind offerings from ByteDance and Alibaba (NYSE:BABA) Group (HK:9988), Reuters report stated.
Baidu has yet to officially announce Ernie 5, but with intensifying competition, the company reportedly faces mounting pressure to deliver a breakthrough.