China's Baidu Launches Two New AI Models as Industry Competition Heats Up

People walk past a Baidu logo outside the company headquarters in Beijing on February 2, 2024. (AFP)
People walk past a Baidu logo outside the company headquarters in Beijing on February 2, 2024. (AFP)
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China's Baidu Launches Two New AI Models as Industry Competition Heats Up

People walk past a Baidu logo outside the company headquarters in Beijing on February 2, 2024. (AFP)
People walk past a Baidu logo outside the company headquarters in Beijing on February 2, 2024. (AFP)

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-energized the global AI race.

"ERNIE X1 delivers performance on par with DeepSeek R1 at only half the price," Baidu said of one of the new models.

The X1 has "stronger understanding, planning, reflection, and evolution capabilities," Baidu said, adding that it is the first deep thinking model that uses tools autonomously.

Baidu said its latest foundation model ERNIE 4.5 has "excellent multimodal understanding ability. It has more advanced language ability, and its understanding, generation, logic, and memory abilities are comprehensively improved."

It also has "high EQ", and it is easy to understand network memes and satirical cartoons, Baidu said.

One of China's earliest tech giants to launch a ChatGPT-style chatbot, Baidu has struggled to gain widespread adoption for its Ernie large language model, despite claiming performance comparable to OpenAI's GPT-4, amid fierce competition.

Multimodal AI systems are capable of processing and integrating various types of data including text, video, images and audio, and can convert content across these formats.



Saudi Arabia Tops MENA Region in E-Government Services for Third Consecutive Year in 2024

A night view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
A night view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Tops MENA Region in E-Government Services for Third Consecutive Year in 2024

A night view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
A night view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia ranked first among Middle East and North African countries in the 2024 Government Electronic and Mobile Services Maturity Index, issued by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), securing the top position for the third consecutive time with a high maturity rate of 96% in the overall assessment.

Digital Government Authority Governor Eng. Ahmed bin Mohammed Alsuwaiyan stressed that this achievement reflects the significant support and interest that the wise leadership has given to the digital government ecosystem, which has contributed to enhancing Saudi Arabia’s position in international rankings.

He also highlighted the pivotal role of integration among government agencies, their reliance on emerging technologies and artificial intelligence, and the launch of initiatives and digital products aimed at improving the beneficiaries' experience.

Saudi Arabia has made significant progress since 2020, starting in fourth place, advancing to second in 2021, then taking the lead in 2022 and maintaining it in the 2023 and 2024 editions. This progress is attributed to substantial improvements in digital services across vital sectors such as health, education, and smart cities.

Electronic healthcare solutions, such as digital prescriptions, appointment bookings through government platforms, and telehealth services, have improved access to services and increased beneficiary satisfaction. Additionally, digital educational services, including remote learning platforms and electronic university admissions, have enhanced users' ability to access government services with flexibility and high quality.

Saudi Arabia outperformed 16 countries in the index, which was based on the maturity assessment of 100 priority government services provided to individuals and the business sector through electronic portals and smart applications. This was measured across three sub-indicators: a score of 99% in the Service Availability and Development indicator, 93% in the Service Usage and Beneficiary Satisfaction indicator, and 99% in the Public Outreach indicator.