Baidu's latest models have been made free-to-use for individual users. Previously, users had paid a monthly subscription to access the company's latest Ernie models.
The company also announced last month that s it would make its next-generation AI model Ernie open-source from June 30, according to Reuters. This represents a change from Baidu's prior strategy of focusing on proprietary models.
"By open-sourcing its models, Baidu seeks to once again position its technology as an industry standard, strengthening its influence in the AI community and expand its market share," said Sun.