Baidu skips live demo in debuting China’s answer to ChatGPT

Robin Li speaks during a launch event for the company's Earnie Bot in Beijing, China. Baidu debuted its ChatGPT-equivalent but skipped a live demo of its highly anticipated AI bot. — Bloomberg

Baidu Inc debuted its ChatGPT-equivalent but skipped a live demo of its highly anticipated AI bot Thursday, disappointing viewers who had hoped for a stronger demonstration China’s highest-profile entry in a battle with the US to dominate a potentially transformative technology.

Billionaire founder Robin Li took to a Beijing stage to introduce his company’s "Ernie Bot,” a landmark moment for a search leader that’s struggled in recent years to revitalise growth. Li and technology chief Wang Haifeng were expected to pose questions in real-time to demonstrate Ernie’s capabilities, but the founder surprised viewers by showing a pre-recorded, scripted video of interactions with the AI. Baidu’s shares fell as much as 10% in afternoon trading in Hong Kong.