Baidu launches 2 new AI models as industry competition heats up

Chinese tech firm says one performs on par with DeepSeek R1 'at half the price'

20250316 Baidu

Men interact with a Baidu AI robot at its headquarters in Beijing. © Reuters

HONG KONG (Reuters) -- China's Baidu said on Sunday it has launched two new artificial intelligence models, including a new reasoning-focused model that it said rivalled DeepSeek's model, as it vies to stand out in a fiercely competitive AI race.

Chinese AI startup DeepSeek's roll-out of AI models which it says is on par with, or even better than, industry-leading models in the United States at a fraction of the cost, has roiled the industry and re-energised the global AI race.

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