Baidu Sues Apple and App Developers Over Fake Ernie Bot App on App Store

Highlights

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• Baidu, the Chinese search engine giant, filed lawsuits against Apple and app developers for offering fake versions of its Ernie bot app on the App Store.
• Ernie bot is an AI-powered chatbot launched by Baidu to rival ChatGPT, a popular chatbot developed by OpenAI in the US.
• Baidu claims that Ernie bot is the most advanced chatbot in China and warns users not to download or use fake apps claiming to be Ernie bot.
• Baidu accuses Apple and app developers of infringing its intellectual property rights and misleading consumers.
• Baidu says it will take legal action to protect its rights and interests.

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Baidu, the Chinese search engine giant, has recently filed lawsuits against Apple and some app developers for offering fake versions of its Ernie bot app on the App Store. Ernie bot is an artificial intelligence-powered chatbot that Baidu launched last month as a rival to ChatGPT, a popular chatbot developed by OpenAI in the US.

Ernie bot is designed to have natural and engaging conversations with users on various topics, such as news, entertainment, sports, and finance. Baidu claims that Ernie bot is the most advanced chatbot in China, and that it can generate coherent and creative responses based on its deep understanding of natural language and knowledge.

However, Baidu says that there are no official apps for Ernie bot yet, and that any apps claiming to be Ernie bot on the App Store or other platforms are fake and unauthorized. Baidu has lodged lawsuits in Beijing Haidian People's Court against the developers behind these counterfeit apps and Apple, which hosts them on its platform.

Baidu accuses Apple and the app developers of infringing its intellectual property rights and misleading consumers. Baidu also warns users not to download or use these fake apps, as they may pose security risks or contain inappropriate content. Baidu says that it will take legal action to protect its rights and interests.

According to Reuters, there were still at least four apps bearing the Chinese-language name of Ernie bot on the App Store as of Saturday. Apple has not responded to Baidu's allegations or requests to remove these apps.

Ernie bot is currently only available to users who apply for and receive access codes from Baidu. Baidu says that it will announce the official launch of Ernie bot app when it is ready. Baidu also cautions users against buying or selling access codes, as they may be invalid or fraudulent.

Baidu's Ernie bot has attracted a lot of attention since its debut last month, when Baidu's co-founder and CEO Robin Li showcased its capabilities in a live-streamed presentation. Ernie bot demonstrated its ability to summarize financial statements, produce PowerPoint presentations, write poems and stories, and chat with celebrities.

Baidu hopes that Ernie bot will become a popular and useful tool for both personal and professional use cases. Baidu also plans to integrate Ernie bot with its other products and services, such as its search engine, smart speaker, cloud computing, and online education platforms.

Baidu's Ernie bot is part of its broader efforts to develop cutting-edge artificial intelligence technologies and applications. Baidu is one of the leading players in China's AI industry, along with Alibaba, Tencent, Huawei, and ByteDance. Baidu has invested heavily in AI research and development, especially in natural language processing, computer vision, speech recognition, and autonomous driving.

Baidu's Ernie bot is also seen as a challenge to ChatGPT, which is widely regarded as one of the most advanced chatbots in the world. ChatGPT was created by OpenAI, a research organization backed by Elon Musk, Microsoft, and other tech giants. ChatGPT uses a large-scale neural network model called GPT-4 to generate natural and diverse responses based on user input.

ChatGPT has been praised for its ability to mimic human conversation styles and personalities, as well as generate original and humorous content. However, ChatGPT has also faced criticism for its ethical and social implications, such as its potential to spread misinformation, bias, or abuse.

The competition between Baidu's Ernie bot and ChatGPT reflects the broader rivalry between China and the US in the field of artificial intelligence. Both countries are vying for global leadership and dominance in AI innovation and application. Both countries have also expressed concerns about the potential threats and challenges posed by AI to their national security and interests.

The lawsuit filed by Baidu against Apple and app developers over fake Ernie bot apps is likely to escalate the tensions between the two sides. It remains to be seen how Apple will respond to Baidu's claims and demands, and how this will affect their relationship and cooperation in the future.