Baidu is overhauling its core search experience with the help of ERNIE, its generative AI model family. The company is shifting from traditional, link-based search results to AI-generated, multimodal responses that aim to be more intuitive, visual and conversational.
By July, over 90% of Baidu App’s monthly users were already interacting with the new AI Search. This signals a fast and widespread rollout across its ecosystem.
From Information Retrieval To Task Completion
At the center of this transformation is Baidu’s ERNIE model. It’s built to better understand user intent, complete tasks and integrate with real-world services.
Search results now often include images, videos and tailored responses based on user context. Baidu is also connecting AI Search to practical tools like maps, museum guides and payment functions. This pushes the experience beyond finding information, making it a possible hub for completing everyday tasks.
The long-term goal is to evolve AI Search into a system that adapts to users, supports interactions and performs actions, rather than just delivering static answers.
Risks Around Accuracy And User Trust
While the changes show promise, the shift comes with risks. Content accuracy and hallucinations from AI-generated responses are concerns. At this scale, small issues could have a large impact on user trust.
Baidu is seeing some financial strain during this transition. According to Zacks, the company’s third-quarter 2025 revenue estimate stands at $4.31 billion, a 9.96% drop from the previous year.
Maintaining quality and reliability will be key if Baidu wants to keep users engaged and confident in the new AI-powered experience.
Global Competition Heats Up
Baidu’s reinvention arrives during an intense phase in the global AI search race. Alphabet is integrating its Gemini model into Google Search, while Microsoft is expanding AI features in Bing and Edge using OpenAI technologies.
Both companies are advancing multimodal and conversational search tools that compete directly with Baidu’s offerings. While Baidu holds an edge in local data and model efficiency, long-term differentiation will depend on its ability to keep pace with rivals and meet evolving user needs.
As the AI search space evolves, Baidu’s success will hinge on balancing bold innovation with stable, trustworthy performance.
