Baidu released its ERNIE 4.5 large language model as open source in June 2025, making advanced AI technology freely available to developers and researchers.
Sources: Reuters(opens in new tab)
company
Baidu
China's dominant search engine and AI technology company. Founded in 2000 by Robin Li, headquartered in Beijing.
Track Record
compelled
Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF) found that Baidu's ERNIE Bot AI chatbot provided responses aligned with Chinese Communist Party propaganda on sensitive topics, including denying Tiananmen Square events.
negligent
A Baidu internal database containing personal information of hundreds of millions of users was found exposed online, including search queries, GPS coordinates, and device information.
Sources: ZDNet(opens in new tab)
negligent
Wei Zexi, a 21-year-old college student, died after receiving unproven cancer treatment found through Baidu's promoted search results. Investigation revealed Baidu accepted payments from unlicensed medical providers for top search placement.
Sources: BBC News(opens in new tab)
compelled
Baidu routinely censors politically sensitive search results including content about Tiananmen Square, Tibet independence, Falun Gong, and other topics deemed sensitive by Chinese authorities.
Sources: Citizen Lab(opens in new tab)