DeepSeek Successors Or Rivals? Chinese Giant Baidu Unveils 2 AI Models With Advanced Reasoning

Baidu claims its new ERNIE X1 AI delivers performance on par with DeepSeek R1 at only half the price.

Chinese tech giant Baidu has unveiled two new artificial intelligence (AI) models, further fueling competition in the rapidly evolving AI sector. Among these, one model emphasises advanced reasoning capabilities, positioning itself as a strong contender against DeepSeek's latest offering.

DeepSeek, a rising Chinese AI startup, has disrupted the industry by introducing AI models it claims rival, or even surpass, leading US-based alternatives — while maintaining significantly lower costs. This has injected fresh momentum into the global AI race, prompting established players like Baidu to step up their game.

Baidu ERNIE X1, ERNIE 4.5: Top Features

Baidu's newly introduced model, ERNIE X1, is designed to enhance critical cognitive functions such as comprehension, strategic planning, reflection, and adaptive learning. According to Baidu, "ERNIE X1 delivers performance on par with DeepSeek R1 at only half the price." The company also highlighted its model's ability to autonomously utilise tools, making it the first of its kind in deep-thinking AI development.

In addition to ERNIE X1, Baidu launched its latest foundation model, ERNIE 4.5, which boasts substantial improvements in language processing, logic, and memory. "It has excellent multimodal understanding ability. It has more advanced language ability, and its understanding, generation, logic, and memory abilities are comprehensively improved," Baidu stated.

The company also emphasised that the model exhibits "high EQ" and is adept at interpreting internet memes and satirical content.

Despite being among the first Chinese companies to introduce a ChatGPT-style chatbot, Baidu has faced challenges in achieving widespread adoption of its Ernie large language model. While the company asserts its models are on par with OpenAI’s GPT-4, it continues to navigate fierce competition within China's AI landscape.

Multimodal AI models like those developed by Baidu are designed to process and integrate diverse data formats, including text, images, video, and audio. This capability allows seamless conversion between different media types, making them valuable across various applications, from content creation to data analysis.

As competition in the AI sector intensifies, Baidu’s latest advancements signal its commitment to staying at the forefront of innovation.