Chinese tech giant Baidu has unveiled two advanced artificial intelligence models—ERNIE X1 and ERNIE 4.5—while making its AI chatbot, Ernie Bot, freely accessible to the public.

ERNIE X1: A Cost-Effective Reasoning Model

The ERNIE X1 model is designed to rival DeepSeek’s R1, offering comparable performance at half the cost. It excels in understanding, planning, reflection, and evolution capabilities, marking a significant advancement in AI reasoning.

ERNIE 4.5: Enhanced Multimodal Understanding

ERNIE 4.5 showcases superior multimodal understanding, enabling it to process and integrate various data types such as text, video, images, and audio. It also boasts advanced language capabilities, with notable improvements in understanding, generation, logic, and memory functions.

Ernie Bot Now Freely Accessible

In a strategic move to broaden its user base, Baidu has made its AI chatbot, Ernie Bot, free of charge to all users on both desktop and mobile platforms. This decision reflects Baidu’s commitment to enhancing accessibility and competitiveness in the rapidly evolving AI industry.

Open-Sourcing Initiatives

Aligning with industry trends, Baidu plans to open-source its ERNIE models starting June 30, 2025. This initiative aims to foster wider adoption and innovation within the AI community, positioning Baidu as a key contributor to global AI development.