Baidu, China’s leading search engine, has announced that it will make its AI chatbot, Ernie Bot, available for free starting April 1, 2025.
The decision comes as a result of improved technology and reduced operational costs, according to a WeChat post from the company.
The Ernie Bot, which competes with other AI models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, will be accessible to all users on both desktop and mobile platforms.
Baidu is responding to increasing competition from domestic companies like DeepSeek, which offers a similar AI service at a lower cost, and ByteDance’s Doubao chatbot.
Despite being an early player in China’s AI development, Baidu’s Ernie has struggled with user adoption, trailing behind competitors in the market.
Baidu has previously introduced paid premium features, charging users 59.9 yuan ($8.18) a month for access to advanced capabilities like Ernie 4.0, which is claimed to match OpenAI’s GPT-4.
In addition to making Ernie Bot free, Baidu also announced the launch of an advanced search feature that will also be free starting on April 1.
The new search function promises enhanced reasoning and tool integration for more expert-level responses.