Baidu, often referred to as China's answer to Google, has launched its own AI-powered smart glasses at its annual World Conference in Shanghai. The device will run on ERNIE's generative AI technology and is designed to “become a private assistant,” according to the Financial times. Users will reportedly be able to interact with the device using their voice and ask questions about what it sees in their current environment. They can also tell the device to play music and even track their calorie consumption. And because the glasses are equipped with cameras, they can ask them to take photos or record videos.
When the glasses hit the market sometime next year, they could become the Chinese consumer alternative to Meta and Snap's devices. Meta teamed up with Ray Ban a few years ago to release smart sunglasses that can livestream and send photos hands-free. The latest model comes built-in with Meta's generative AI assistant that users can talk to. However, the company's device is not officially sold in China as its servers are blocked in the country. Baidu hasn't yet announced how much its glasses would cost, but Meta is selling its device for $299.
The Baidu World Conference had a big focus on the company's AI efforts as it takes steps to ensure ERNIE can keep pace with its competitors' technologies. It also launched a new AI image generator called iRAG that apparently experiences fewer hallucinations than its predecessor, along with a tool that allows people to create software programs even if they have no coding knowledge. According to The timesByteDance's Doubao is now the leading AI chatbot in China based on monthly active users, as observed by Sensor Tower. ByteDance is also expanding its hardware offering and recently launched a pair of earbuds with access to its AI assistant Doubao.
