China Approves Baidu and Others to Launch AI Bots, Tech Shares Soar

Four Chinese tech companies, including Baidu and SenseTime, have launched their AI chatbots to the public after receiving government approval, as China aims to expand the use of such products in competition with the United States. Baidu's chatbot, Ernie Bot, and SenseTime's chatbot, SenseChat, are now fully accessible to users. Two other AI startups, Baichuan Intelligent Technology and Zhipu AI, have also announced similar public launches. The government's move to greenlight AI products is expected to spark consolidation in the industry, with only companies possessing data and tech capabilities being able to thrive.