Baidu plans to make its AI chatbot, Ernie Bot, free for all users starting 1 April. The service, which will be accessible on both desktop and mobile platforms, reflects the company's confidence in improved technology and reduced operational costs.

The announcement highlights Baidu's efforts to compete in China's AI market, which has seen rapid advancements and rising competition.

China's AI sector is heating up, with DeepSeek emerging as a notable rival. DeepSeek offers free chatbot services that it claims rival OpenAI's advanced systems while maintaining lower costs.

Despite Baidu's position as an early leader in AI, its Ernie Bot has struggled to gain traction, lagging behind ByteDance's Doubao chatbot and DeepSeek in user adoption.

Baidu initially introduced premium features in late 2023, charging users for advanced search capabilities powered by Ernie 4.0. The upcoming free release of both Ernie Bot and an advanced search function marks a shift in strategy.

The advanced search feature promises enhanced reasoning and tool integration, aimed at delivering expert-level responses to users.

Ernie Bot's latest version, Ernie 4.0, claims parity with OpenAI's GPT-4 in terms of capabilities. By removing cost barriers, Baidu hopes to attract a larger user base and strengthen its position in the competitive AI sector.