Baidu's Ernie Bot Launch Delayed Amid Advancements and Capabilities Revealed.

Baidu's new AI-driven chatbot, Ernie Bot, was set to be showcased via livestream to the public on Monday, but the event was changed to a closed-door meeting with potential corporate clients due to "strong demand" from 120,000 firms that want to test-drive the bot. A session for the media will be held at a later date. Ernie Bot's official rollout was on March 16, but its debut was "muted" and faced obstacles due to China's internet censorship. Baidu shares plummeted by as much as 4.5% on Monday morning due to the last-minute change.