Baidu Launches Advanced AI Models ERNIE 4.5 and ERNIE X1, Offers Free Access

Baidu, a prominent AI company with a strong foundation in internet technology, has announced the release of its latest advancements in artificial intelligence with the introduction of ERNIE 4.5 and the reasoning-focused ERNIE X1 models. These new models are now available to individual users at no cost through the ERNIE Bot platform. This accessibility was implemented ahead of the initially scheduled date of April 1st. This launch underscores Baidu's dedication to expanding the capabilities of both multimodal and reasoning-based AI, while also making these advanced technologies more widely available at a lower cost. The decision to provide free access ahead of time suggests a strong belief in the capabilities of these models and a strategic move to encourage broad adoption.  

ERNIE 4.5 represents Baidu's most recent native multimodal foundation model, designed to process and understand various forms of data, including text, images, audio, and video. This comprehensive ability to handle different data types positions ERNIE 4.5 as a highly versatile tool for a wide array of applications, ranging from content creation to sophisticated data analysis. The model demonstrates significant improvements across several key areas, including understanding, generation, reasoning, and memory. Furthermore, it incorporates enhanced features aimed at reducing inaccuracies, improving logical coherence, and bolstering coding proficiency. Reports indicate that ERNIE 4.5 outperforms OpenAI's GPT-4.5 in various benchmarks, particularly in tasks related to text generation and multimodal processing. This positions Baidu as a strong competitor in the AI arena. One notable aspect of ERNIE 4.5 is its capacity to interpret internet memes and satirical cartoons, showcasing a high level of intelligence and contextual awareness, which Baidu describes as "high EQ". This suggests a more profound understanding of human communication and cultural nuances, potentially leading to more natural and engaging interactions. The advancements in ERNIE 4.5 are attributed to several key technological innovations, including "FlashMask" Dynamic Attention Masking, Heterogeneous Multimodal Mixture-of-Experts, Spatiotemporal Representation Compression, Knowledge-Centric Training Data Construction, and Self-feedback Enhanced Post-Training. These technical details highlight the sophisticated engineering involved in developing the model. For businesses and developers, ERNIE 4.5 is accessible through APIs on Baidu AI Cloud's MaaS platform Qianfan, with competitive pricing starting at RMB 0.004 per thousand input tokens and RMB 0.016 per thousand output tokens. This low cost makes ERNIE 4.5 an appealing option for organizations seeking advanced AI capabilities. The significant price difference compared to models like GPT-4.5, reportedly costing only 1% as much, could exert pressure on other AI providers to adjust their pricing strategies.  

ERNIE X1 marks Baidu's entry into the realm of deep-thinking reasoning models with multimodal capabilities, designed to handle intricate calculations and logical deductions. This development signifies a crucial step for Baidu in creating AI that can perform more advanced cognitive tasks beyond simple pattern recognition. The model demonstrates enhanced abilities in understanding, planning, reflection, and evolution, excelling in areas such as Chinese knowledge-based question answering, literary creation, manuscript writing, dialogue, logical reasoning, and complex calculations. Its capacity for autonomous tool usage, without constant human intervention, includes support for advanced search, question answering on provided documents, image understanding, AI image generation, code interpretation, webpage reading, TreeMind mapping, Baidu academic search, business information search, and franchise information search. Baidu asserts that ERNIE X1 achieves a performance level comparable to DeepSeek R1, another reasoning-focused AI model developed in China, but at half the cost. This comparison underscores Baidu's ambition to compete with and potentially surpass key players in the AI market, particularly DeepSeek, which has gained recognition for its cost-effective models. The claim of a lower price point could make ERNIE X1 a more attractive option for users seeking high-performance reasoning capabilities. The enhanced capabilities of ERNIE X1 are supported by advanced technologies like the Progressive Reinforcement Learning Method, End-to-End Training Approach Integrating Chains of Thought and Action, and A Unified Multi-Faceted Reward System. These sophisticated training methodologies suggest a deliberate effort to develop the model's reasoning abilities. ERNIE X1 will soon be available on the Qianfan Platform for enterprise users and developers, with input prices starting as low as RMB 0.002 per thousand tokens and output prices as low as RMB 0.008 per thousand tokens. This even lower pricing compared to ERNIE 4.5 for enterprise users further emphasizes Baidu's strategy to offer cost-competitive AI solutions, especially for a model designed for intensive reasoning tasks. Such pricing could significantly broaden access to advanced reasoning capabilities for businesses.  

The simultaneous launch of ERNIE 4.5 and ERNIE X1 has led to the expedited release of ERNIE Bot for free public use. Individual users can now access both models at no cost through the official ERNIE Bot website. This decision to make advanced AI freely available significantly reduces the barrier for individuals to experience this technology. The fact that this free access was rolled out earlier than initially planned indicates Baidu's confidence in its revenue strategy focused on enterprise clients and a strong motivation to quickly expand its user base. Baidu's approach of offering high-performing models at considerably lower costs than international competitors like OpenAI and DeepSeek aims to capture a larger share of the global AI market while solidifying its leading position within China's technology sector. This competitive pricing directly challenges the existing pricing structures of both established and emerging players in the AI industry. Furthermore, the integration of ERNIE 4.5 and ERNIE X1 into Baidu's existing suite of products, including Baidu Search and the Wenxiaoyan app, is intended to enhance the user experience across these platforms. By leveraging its current user base and incorporating AI into widely used services, Baidu aims to promote broader adoption of its new models.  

Baidu has also announced its intention to make its ERNIE AI models open-source starting from June 30, 2025. This strategic decision is aimed at encouraging innovation and collaboration within the AI community. By providing open access to these advanced models, Baidu hopes to expand the ecosystem of AI applications and use cases, potentially establishing ERNIE as a standard in the AI field and demonstrating transparency in its AI capabilities. This move could have a significant impact on the AI landscape, potentially challenging proprietary models from competitors and democratizing access to cutting-edge AI technology. While initial reports mentioned open-sourcing ERNIE 4.5 specifically, later announcements suggest a wider open-source initiative encompassing the ERNIE models. This expansion of the open-source plan indicates a growing commitment from Baidu to engage with the broader AI community.  

In conclusion, the launch of ERNIE 4.5 and ERNIE X1 represents a significant advancement in artificial intelligence, particularly in the areas of multimodal understanding and deep reasoning. Baidu's strategic move to offer these advanced models for free to individual users, combined with competitive pricing for enterprise clients and plans for open-sourcing, signals a bold ambition to secure a leading position in the global AI market. As the AI landscape continues its rapid evolution, Baidu's latest offerings are positioned as strong contenders, poised to challenge existing models and potentially shape the future trajectory of artificial intelligence.