Baidu revealed ERNIE X1 & ERNIE 4.5, its new AI models to rival DeepSeek

Baidu has introduced two new AI models, ERNIE X1 and ERNIE 4.5, aiming to compete with Chinese AI startup DeepSeek in the fast-growing AI industry.

Key Points

• ERNIE X1, a reasoning model, offers performance similar to DeepSeek’s but at a lower cost, making it a more affordable option for businesses and developers.
• ERNIE X1 features advanced skills in understanding, planning, reflection, and self-evolution, allowing it to use tools independently.
• ERNIE 4.5 is Baidu’s latest foundation model, improves language processing, memory, logic, and creative generation.
• ERNIE 4.5 excels at understanding internet memes, sarcasm, and satire—areas where many AI models struggle.
• Baidu claims ERNIE 4.5 surpasses OpenAI’s GPT-4.5 in several benchmarks, while ERNIE X1 enhances deep-thinking capabilities.
• Baidu also made its AI chatbot Ernie Bot free for individual users more than two weeks ahead of schedule.
• Baidu plans to open-source its ERNIE models from June 30, following DeepSeek’s approach.

Baidu ERNIE with DeepSeek and Other AI Models

Baidu’s ERNIE models stand out in the AI landscape by integrating knowledge-enhanced learning, differentiating them from models like DeepSeek, OpenAI’s GPT series, and Google’s Gemini.

ERNIE 4.5, for instance, excels in Chinese NLP due to its deep semantic understanding, surpassing DeepSeek’s open-source approach.

While DeepSeek emphasizes efficiency and multilingual capabilities, ERNIE leverages structured data for domain-specific tasks.

Compared to GPT-4, which dominates general AI applications, ERNIE offers specialized Chinese-language advantages.

Google’s Gemini, with its multimodal prowess, competes in versatility, yet ERNIE remains a leader in China’s AI ecosystem, benefiting from Baidu’s integration with search and enterprise applications.

News Gist

Baidu unveiled ERNIE X1 and ERNIE 4.5, challenging DeepSeek with enhanced reasoning, creativity, and affordability.

ERNIE 4.5 surpasses GPT-4.5 in benchmarks, while Baidu plans open-source access from June 30.