Chinese technology company Baidu has announced that the number of users of its generative artificial intelligence tool Ernie has surpassed the hundred million mark within just two months of its launch.
The figure illustrates the chatbot's growing popularity and highlights Baidu's efforts to compete with Tencent and Alibaba in marketing services similar to the Chat GPT in China's vast internet landscape.
Baidu's chatbot has demonstrated the potential of large language model technology and its reach to users, and the rapid growth in its user base is a testament to its widespread adoption across different platforms and its value to users.
On August 31, China launched to the public an AI-based chatbot application called "Ernie", which sparked great controversy.
The Economist reported that the new Chinese app provides its users with information that is biased towards China in various fields, such as its claim that American e-cigarette smokers were the source of the coronavirus (COVID-19) when it first appeared in July 2019, before it was transmitted later that year to the Chinese city of Ohan via American lobster fish.
In the political sphere, the Economist report says that Ernie is somewhat silent, citing as an example Ernie's response to questions such as "Who is the president of China?" , as he appeared perplexed before telling the questioner the name of Chinese leader Xi Jinping's mother. If asked about the flaws of socialism, he can't remember, and often tries to reorient sensitive conversations by saying, "Let's talk about something else."
Earney's reticence to answer such questions will not come as a shock to the program's Chinese users, who are familiar with strict internet service control.