"Baidu's 'Ernie Bot' AI Chatbot Draws 200 Million Users"

Baidu's AI chatbot "Ernie Bot" has amassed over 200 million users and is being used 200 million times daily through its API, with 85,000 enterprise clients. The chatbot, approved for public release in China last August, faces competition from rival AI services like Alibaba-backed Moonshot AI's "Kimi." Despite rapid growth, Chinese generative AI services still trail behind Western counterparts, with OpenAI's ChatGPT remaining the most popular globally. China has expedited approvals for AI services, recognizing AI as a key area for competition with the U.S.