At the 2025 Baidu World Conference held in Beijing on November 13, Baidu unveiled groundbreaking advancements in artificial intelligence, emphasizing how AI is evolving from a mere tool into an intrinsic driver of productivity. The event, themed “Emergent Effects,” highlighted the company’s strides in domestic AI chip technology, foundational AI models, and innovative applications that are reshaping industries.

From Intelligence as a Cost to Intelligence as Productivity

Robin Li, Baidu’s founder, articulated a transformative vision during his keynote address: when AI becomes deeply embedded within enterprise operations, it ceases to be a cost center and instead becomes a catalyst for productivity growth. He identified three strategic pathways for businesses to harness AI effectively:

• Automating repetitive and mundane tasks to free human resources
• Unlocking boundless productivity potential through AI augmentation
• Surpassing traditional cognitive limitations by leveraging advanced AI capabilities

Cutting-Edge AI Hardware and Models Unveiled

Baidu introduced several key technological innovations designed to accelerate AI adoption and performance:

• Kunlun M100 and M300 Chips: The latest generation of Baidu’s Kunlun AI processors, optimized for cost-efficient large-scale model training and inference, supported by the Tianci supernode infrastructure.
• ERNIE 5.0: A fully revamped multimodal large language model with enhanced comprehension and generative abilities, now accessible in preview through the ERNIE App.
• Famou: The world’s first commercially available self-evolving AI agent, capable of continuous learning and adaptation without human intervention.

Expanding AI Applications: From Digital Humans to Autonomous Mobility

Baidu also showcased the latest iteration of Huiboxing, its interactive digital human platform, which leverages AI to create more natural and engaging user interactions. In addition, Baidu’s AI-powered search engine is evolving beyond traditional link-based results to deliver rich media content, enhancing user experience.

In the realm of autonomous transportation, Baidu’s Apollo Go ride-hailing service has expanded to 22 cities across China, completing over 17 million rides to date. Meanwhile, GenFlow, Baidu’s intelligent general-purpose AI agent, has amassed a user base of 20 million, making it the most widely adopted AI assistant globally.

Internalizing AI: The Key to Unlocking Emergent Effects

Robin Li emphasized that the true potential of AI emerges only when organizations integrate it as a native capability within their workflows and culture. This internalization is essential for businesses aiming to achieve breakthrough productivity and innovation.