Baidu Set to Launch Next-Gen AI Model “Ernie 5” in 2025

Baidu, China’s leading tech company, is poised to unveil the next iteration of its AI model, Ernie 5, in the second half of 2025, according to a source familiar with the matter. The new model will introduce multimodal capabilities, enabling it to handle and convert various formats, including text, video, images, and audio.

This launch comes at a time of fierce competition in China’s AI sector, especially from the startup DeepSeek, which has gained attention for offering a reasoning model that competes with OpenAI’s GPT at a lower cost. Despite being an early adopter in AI with its Ernie model, Baidu has faced challenges in achieving widespread adoption, even though it claims that Ernie 4 rivals the capabilities of GPT-4.

Baidu’s AI models have lagged behind domestic competitors, including ByteDance’s Doubao chatbot and DeepSeek, in terms of user uptake. Baidu CEO Robin Li acknowledged at a recent Dubai conference that the rise of DeepSeek highlights the unpredictable nature of innovation. He also noted that investment in data centers and cloud infrastructure remains essential, even though DeepSeek has shown that AI models can be made more cost-efficient.