Baidu Unveils ERNIE 5.0 and a Series of AI Applications at Baidu World 2025, Ramps Up Global Push

Baidu unveiled its latest foundation model, ERNIE 5.0, at its annual event, Baidu World 2025. This natively omni-modal model integrates text, images, audio, and video for comprehensive multimodal capabilities. The launch included various upgrades to existing Artificial Intelligence (AI) products, emphasizing the company's push into global markets.

Among the announcements were enhancements to Baidu’s digital human technology, its no-code application builder Miaoda, and the general AI agent GenFlow. The introduction of a self-evolving agent called Famou and the one-stop AI workspace Oreate demonstrated Baidu's commitment to advancing AI integration across functions.

Robin Li, Co-founder and CEO of Baidu, noted that internalizing AI across workflows transforms it into a productivity tool. Homomorphic Encryption (HE) pointed out that applications developed using AI can significantly outvalue the foundational models, indicating a shift in the industry structure towards a more application-centric paradigm.

Apollo Go, Baidu's autonomous ride-hailing service, achieved a milestone of over 17 million cumulative rides, establishing it as the largest service of its kind. Li emphasized how autonomous vehicles may redefine urban landscapes as costs decrease and accessibility increases.

As part of its significant AI transformation, Baidu also revealed that approximately 70% of its top search results now incorporate rich media. The company indicated that these updates fundamentally alter the search experience, moving from a text-based model to one centered on multimedia.

Additionally, the application builder Miaoda underwent a major upgrade, and its international version, MeDo, was launched for global developers. Baidu's digital human technology has already debuted in Brazil and is set for further international expansion.

The conference also featured Famou, touted as the first commercially available self-evolving agent, capable of adapting to complex scenarios across various industries. This initiative signals Baidu's readiness to innovate within the dynamics of AI application development.