Baidu Supercharges Search with AI in Bid to Outpace Rising Rivals

Baidu’s Major AI Upgrade to Its Search Engine

Chinese technology leader Baidu has implemented the most significant update to its core search platform in a decade, integrating advanced artificial intelligence features. This move is intended to maintain its edge against new competitors like DeepSeek, rather than just traditional search engines.

Dan Ives, global head of tech research at Wedbush Securities, highlighted that Baidu is pushing forward aggressively with AI and its chatbot, Ernie Bot. “There has been some pressure on the search business, but the focus on AI and Ernie Bot is a key step forward,” he said.

What’s New in Baidu’s Search?

Baidu remains China’s leading search engine, yet it’s confronting disruption similar to what Google faces. Users are increasingly turning to AI-powered services such as ChatGPT and DeepSeek, which has gained attention for its efficient and cost-effective AI model.

Additionally, short video platforms like Douyin and Kuaishou are entering the AI search space, adding more competition. To respond, Baidu has introduced several key improvements:

• Search input now accepts over 1,000 characters, up from just 28.
• Users can ask questions in a more conversational style, similar to interacting with chatbots.
• Search queries can be made via voice, images, and file uploads.
• Integration of AI chatbot capabilities allows users to generate photos, text, and videos directly within the platform.

Kai Wang, Asia equity market strategist at Morningstar, noted these changes bring Baidu’s search experience closer to how people use AI chatbots today.

Google’s Parallel AI Efforts

Outside China, Google is also enhancing its search product with AI features, reflecting the growing pressure on traditional search engines from AI technologies.

Baidu Takes an Offensive Approach

Baidu was among the first in China to launch AI models and its ChatGPT-like product, Ernie Bot, in 2023. Since then, it has continued to roll out updated AI models aggressively.

However, Baidu faces stiff competition from Alibaba, Tencent, and newcomers like DeepSeek, all of which are incorporating AI into their offerings. This competition has impacted Baidu’s stock performance; it has increased about 2.5% this year, compared to Alibaba’s 30.5% and Tencent’s 20% gains.

According to Wedbush Securities’ Ives, Baidu’s latest move is both defensive and offensive. “Baidu needs to act decisively and demonstrate it can compete with Tencent on the AI front,” he said.

For professionals interested in AI development and product innovation, Baidu’s approach illustrates the importance of integrating conversational AI and multimodal inputs to meet evolving user expectations.

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