Baidu Launches Two Advanced AI Models

Chinese tech giant Baidu has announced the launch of two cutting-edge AI models: Ernie 4.5, the latest iteration of its foundational model, and Ernie X1, a new reasoning model.

We’ve just unveiled ERNIE 4.5 & X1!

As a deep-thinking reasoning model with multimodal capabilities, ERNIE X1 delivers performance on par with DeepSeek R1 at only half the price. Meanwhile, ERNIE 4.5 is our latest foundation model and new-generation native multimodal model.… pic.twitter.com/cLKVHYvbzw

— Baidu Inc. (@Baidu_Inc) March 16, 2025

The company claims Ernie X1 delivers performance comparable to DeepSeek R1 at half the cost, while Ernie 4.5 stands out for its “high EQ,” with the ability to interprete memes and satire.

Read Also: Baidu to Unveil Ernie 5.0 Amid Market Shakeup

Both models boast multimodal capabilities, processing text, video, images, and audio.

Despite being an early contender in the Chinese AI race with its competitor to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Baidu has reportedly struggled to achieve widespread adoption.

Meanwhile, DeepSeek has made waves with its cost-effective yet powerful AI models, challenging global AI companies.

Baidu aims to enhance its offerings further with the upcoming release of Ernie 5 later this year, promising additional multimodal advancements.

Tech Crunch