the health strategist
institute for
health transformation
and digital health strategy
Joaquim Cardoso MSc.
Chief Research and Strategy Officer (CRSO),
Chief Editor and
Independent Senior Advisor
Key points
Introduction:
Robin Li, the visionary founder of Baidu, has been at the forefront of China’s AI revolution since the company’s inception in 2000.
With a mission to comprehend and predict human behavior, Baidu has invested heavily in AI research, emerging as a leader in the field.
Baidu’s AI Leadership:
- Baidu, often referred to as China’s leading search engine, has been a pioneer in AI innovation.
- Over the years, Baidu has developed groundbreaking technologies, such as Xiaodu, its virtual assistant, and a fleet of driverless taxis deployed in major Chinese cities.
- Robin Li, Baidu’s CEO, has consistently driven the company’s AI endeavors, making it a formidable player in the global AI landscape.
ERNIE Bot: A Game-Changer:
- On August 31, Baidu introduced ERNIE Bot, a substantial addition to their AI portfolio.
- Robin Li asserts that ERNIE Bot outperforms competing large language models, including ChatGPT, in several critical metrics.
- This development underscores Baidu’s commitment to advancing AI capabilities and staying at the forefront of the field.
Role in AI Regulation:
- Baidu plays a significant role in shaping AI regulations in China.
- The company was appointed as a leader in the National Artificial Intelligence Standardization Group’s LLM task force, signaling a shift towards fostering AI development rather than imposing strict regulations.
- Baidu’s influence in AI regulation is poised to facilitate the delivery of public services across various domains.
Data Advantage and Future Possibilities:
- Baidu, with 677 million monthly users, possesses a vast data repository for AI training.
- As regulatory restrictions in China evolve, Baidu is positioned to leverage its data advantage to create transformative AI-native applications.
- Robin Li anticipates a paradigm shift in human-computer interaction, akin to the mobile internet era, with countless new AI applications emerging.
Supply Chain Challenges and Opportunities:
- Despite its AI leadership, Baidu faces supply chain disruptions, primarily due to restrictions on importing advanced chips from Nvidia.
- Robin Li acknowledges these concerns but sees potential opportunities in domestic chip innovation.
- The burning question is whether Baidu will be able to access the hardware to realize Li’s ambitions. Although the $48 billion firm has developed its own Kunlun microprocessors, it relies heavily on imports from California-based Nvidia,
- He remains optimistic about the future of AI, emphasizing the scope for innovation, whether through international collaborations or domestic solutions.
Conclusion:
Baidu, under the guidance of Robin Li, stands as a trailblazer in AI innovation. The release of ERNIE Bot and its role in AI regulation underscore the company’s commitment to advancing the field.
Baidu’s vast user base and data resources position it to usher in a new era of AI applications, despite supply chain challenges.
With a visionary leader at the helm and a resilient approach to challenges, Baidu is poised to shape the future of AI in China and globally.
DEEP DIVE
TIME
BILLY PERRIGO
SEPTEMBER 7, 2023
Robin Li, CEO, Chairman and Co-Founder, Baidu
As China’s foremost futurist, Robin Li has been riding the AI wave for a long time. Ever since he founded Baidu, China’s most popular search engine, in 2000, Li’s mission has been to better understand and anticipate human behavior—plowing tens of billions of dollars into AI research. Baidu already has its own equivalent of Amazon’s virtual assistant Alexa, dubbed Xiaodu, as well as fleets of driverless taxis operating in some of China’s biggest cities, including 200 in Wuhan alone. But the recent explosion in generative AI means it’s now “a very exciting time,” Li, 54, tells TIME. “AI now has the ability to do all kinds of logical reasoning that couldn’t be done before.”
On Aug. 31, Baidu publicly released ERNIE Bot, its own large language model (LLM), which Li claims outperforms ChatGPT in several key metrics. Li is also a trusted voice as Beijing ponders appropriate AI regulations. In July, Baidu was appointed a leader of the Chinese government’s National Artificial Intelligence Standardization Group’s LLM task force, whose mood over the past few months has “morphed into a more build-than-regulate mindset,” says Li. “I’m quite hopeful that very soon we will be able to offer public services in a wide range of scenarios.”
AI learns on data, and when China’s regulatory brakes come off, Baidu’s 677 million monthly users would offer quantities that might outstrip those of any domestic competitor. Li believes the possibilities are a “paradigm shift of human-computer interaction,” comparing the current inflection point to the birth of mobile internet, which heralded apps like Uber, WeChat, and TikTok that would never have flourished on desktop computing. Li is predicting “millions and millions of new, AI-native applications that we probably cannot even imagine.”
The burning question is whether Baidu will be able to access the hardware to realize Li’s ambitions. Although the $48 billion firm has developed its own Kunlun microprocessors, it relies heavily on imports from California-based Nvidia, which the Biden Administration has barred from selling its most advanced chips to Chinese customers. Li says the restrictions are “a concern” but might also present an opportunity. “If the barrier becomes higher and higher for us to buy American chips, then domestic chips will become a viable option,” says Li. “There are lots of opportunities to innovate either way, so I’m optimistic about the future of AI.”
This is an excerpt of the publication below. This module was written by CHARLIE CAMPBELL
