Chinese search engine giant Baidu said on Friday it would make its next-generation artificial intelligence model Ernie open-source from June 30, a major shift in strategy as competition heats up.

Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU) will open-source its next-generation Ernie AI model from June 30, marking a major strategy shift as competition in the AI sector intensifies. The move comes after the rise of DeepSeek,

Baidu is making a strategic move to strengthen its position in China’s artificial intelligence race by making its chatbot, Ernie Bot, free to all users starting April 1. The decision signals a shift in the company’s approach as it grapples with intensifying competition from emerging players like DeepSeek and ByteDance’s Doubao.