Chinese search engine giant Baidu said on Friday it would make its next-generation artificial intelligence model Ernie open-source from June 30, a major shift in strategy as competition heats up.Baidu CEO Robin Li had long advocated for closed-source models as the only viable path for AI development,

Baidu CEO Robin Li, who previously advocated for closed-source models, reportedly acknowledged the potential of open-source development to accelerate AI adoption.

Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU) will open-source its next-generation Ernie AI model from June 30, marking a major strategy shift as competition in the AI sector intensifies. The move comes after the rise of DeepSeek,