Baidu, Inc (NASDAQ: BIDU) founder Robin Li has urged Chinese entrepreneurs and officials to stop competing in developing large language models and instead focus on creating applications for existing models like Baidu's "Ernie." Despite Li's call, competition has surged, with the number of homegrown models increasing rapidly.
This rival rise threatens Baidu's ambitions in emerging technologies, a pattern seen over the past decade when the company retreated from various ventures due to intense competition, the Financial Times reports.
Over a dozen current and former Baidu employees have raised concerns about Li's leadership and company culture, contributing to difficulties in developing new business lines.