2023-08-31 10:09:49
Baidu chatbot “Ernie” at a trade show in Beijing
So far, only selected users were allowed to test the programs.
(Photo: AP)
Hong Kong In the race with the West for technological leadership in artificial intelligence (AI), China is heralding a new round. The government in Beijing gave the green light to several Chinese ChatGPT rivals. The chatbot “Ernie” is now fully publicly accessible, said the search engine operator Baidu on Thursday. The start-ups Sensetime, Baichuan and Zhipu AI announced similar things for their respective AI.
So far, only selected users were allowed to test these programs. This was a competitive disadvantage because AI learns with every input. ChatGPT from the Microsoft holding OpenAI attracted more than 100 million users within a few weeks of its market launch in November 2022.
Baidu’s “Ernie” is considered the most promising challenger from China. According to the company, the current version of this AI performs better than ChatGPT in some areas.
In the People’s Republic, providers of freely accessible AI must undergo security assessments and deposit their algorithms with the authorities. According to experts, the government wants to prevent chatbots from influencing social views in potentially subversive directions. The government emphasizes that AI content must be in line with the country’s core socialist values.
According to media reports, a total of eleven companies have now received approval for their AI, including TikTok parent Bytedance and video game provider Tencent. Neither company was initially available for comment. It remained unclear whether Alibaba is also one of the license holders. A spokesman for the online retailer’s cloud division said that all the necessary documents had been submitted.
It is questionable whether all 80 language models will prevail
“Those who already have an approval gain a competitive advantage because they can perfect their products faster than the competition,” said Morningstar analyst Kai Wang.
However, his colleague Shawn Yang from the investment advisor Blue Lotus warned that not all of the approximately 80 major Chinese language models that form the basis of AI a la ChatGPT will prevail. “Only the companies with sufficient training data and the necessary technical knowledge will be able to advance the development.”
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