Baidu delivers new LLMs ERNIE 4.5 and ERNIE X1 undercutting DeepSeek, OpenAI on price — however they don’t seem to be open supply (but)

Over the weekend, Chinese language net search big Baidu introduced the launch of two new AI fashions, ERNIE 4.5 and ERNIE X1, a multimodal language mannequin and reasoning mannequin, respectively.

Baidu claims they provide state-of-the-art efficiency on quite a lot of metrics, besting DeepSeek’s non-reasoning V3 and OpenAI’s GPT-4.5 (how do you just like the shut title match Baidu selected as properly?) on a number of third-party benchmark assessments such because the C-Eval (assessing Chinese language LLM efficiency on data and reasoning throughout 52 topics), CMMLU (huge multitask language understanding in Chinese language), and GSM8K (math phrase issues).

It additionally claims to undercut the price of each fellow Chinese language wunderkind’s DeepSeek’s R1 reasoning mannequin with ERNIE X1 by 50% and US AI juggernaut OpenAI’s GPT-4.5 with ERNIE 4.5 by 99%, respectively.

But each have some necessary limitations, together with a scarcity of open supply licensing within the former case (which DeepSeek R1 presents) and a far decreased context in comparison with the latter (8,000 tokens as an alternative of 128,000, frankly an astonishingly low quantity on this age of million-token-plus context home windows. Tokens are how a big AI mannequin represents info, with extra that means extra info. A 128,000-token window is akin to a 250-page novel).

As X person @claudeglass famous in a publish, the small context window makes it maybe solely appropriate for customer support chatbots.

Baidu posted on X that it did plan to make the ERNIE 4.5 mannequin household open supply on June thirtieth, 2025.

Baidu has enabled entry to the fashions by way of its software programming interface (API) and Chinese language-language chatbot rival to ChatGPT, often called “ERNIE Bot” — it solutions questions, generates textual content, produces artistic writing, and interacts conversationally with customers — and made ERNIE Bot free to entry.

ERNIE 4.5: A brand new technology of multimodal AI

ERNIE 4.5 is Baidu’s newest basis mannequin, designed as a local multimodal system able to processing and understanding textual content, photos, audio, and video, and is a transparent competitor to OpenAI’s GPT-4.5 mannequin launched again in February 2025.

The mannequin has been optimized for higher comprehension, technology, reasoning, and reminiscence. Enhancements embody improved hallucination prevention, logical reasoning, and coding capabilities.

In accordance with Baidu, ERNIE 4.5 outperforms GPT-4.5 in a number of benchmarks whereas sustaining a considerably decrease price.

The mannequin’s developments stem from a number of key applied sciences, together with FlashMask Dynamic Consideration Masking, Heterogeneous Multimodal Combination-of-Specialists, and Self-feedback Enhanced Submit-Coaching.

ERNIE X1 introduces superior deep-thinking reasoning capabilities, emphasizing understanding, planning, reflection, and evolution.

Not like commonplace multimodal AI fashions, ERNIE X1 is particularly designed for advanced reasoning and gear use, enabling it to carry out duties equivalent to superior search, document-based Q&A, AI-generated picture interpretation, code execution, and net web page evaluation.

The mannequin helps a variety of instruments, together with Baidu’s educational search, enterprise info search, and franchise analysis instruments. Its improvement relies on Progressive Reinforcement Studying, Finish-to-Finish Coaching integrating Chains of Thought and Motion, and a Unified Multi-Faceted Reward System.

Entry and API availability

Customers can now entry each ERNIE 4.5 and ERNIE X1 by way of the official ERNIE Bot web site.

For enterprise customers and builders, ERNIE 4.5 is now out there by way of Baidu AI Cloud’s Qianfan platform by way of API entry. ERNIE X1 is predicted to be out there quickly.

Pricing for API Entry:

• ERNIE 4.5:
  • Enter: $0.55 USD per 1 million tokens
  • Output: $2.2 per 1M tokens
• ERNIE X1:
  • Enter: $0.28 per 1M tokens
  • Output: $1.1 per 1M tokens

Evaluate that to:

• DeepSeek R1
  • Enter: $0.55 per 1M tokens
  • Output: $2.19 per 1M tokens

Baidu has additionally introduced plans to combine ERNIE 4.5 and ERNIE X1 into its broader ecosystem, together with Baidu Search and the Wenxiaoyan app.

Concerns for enterprise decision-makers

For CIOs, CTOs, IT leaders, and DevOps groups, the launch of ERNIE 4.5 and ERNIE X1 presents each alternatives and concerns:

• Efficiency vs. Value – With pricing considerably decrease than competing fashions, organizations evaluating AI options might even see price financial savings by integrating ERNIE fashions by way of API. Nevertheless, additional benchmarking and real-world testing could also be essential to assess efficiency for particular enterprise functions.
• Multimodal and Reasoning Capabilities – The flexibility to course of and perceive textual content, photos, audio, and video might be precious for companies in industries equivalent to buyer assist, content material technology, authorized tech, and finance.
• Instrument Integration – ERNIE X1’s means to work with instruments like superior search, document-based Q&A, and code interpretation may present automation and effectivity good points in enterprise environments.
• Ecosystem and Localization – As Baidu’s AI fashions are optimized for Chinese language-language processing and regional data, enterprises working in China or concentrating on Chinese language-speaking markets could discover ERNIE fashions more practical than world options.
• Licensing and Knowledge Privateness – Whereas Baidu has indicated that GPT-4.5 might be made open supply later this summer time, June 30, 2025, that’s nonetheless three months away, so enterprises ought to at the least wait till that point to evaluate whether or not it’s value deploying domestically or on US-hosted cloud providers. Enterprise customers ought to assessment Baidu’s insurance policies concerning information privateness, compliance, and mannequin utilization earlier than integrating these AI options.

AI enlargement and future outlook

As AI improvement accelerates in 2025, Baidu is positioning itself as a frontrunner in multimodal and reasoning-based AI applied sciences.

The corporate plans to proceed investing in synthetic intelligence, information facilities, and cloud infrastructure to boost the capabilities of its basis fashions.

By providing a mix of highly effective efficiency and decrease prices, Baidu’s newest AI fashions goal to offer companies and particular person customers with extra accessible and superior AI instruments.

For extra particulars, go to ERNIE Bot’s official web site.