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.
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