Chinese online search giant Baidu Inc. will launch an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot service named "ERNIE Bot" after it completes internal testing in March, according to the company.

The chatbot is currently going through the final phase of preparations. Once operational, it will run in a similar fashion to ChatGPT developed by the U.S. company OpenAI, which can generate human-like text based on input.

Baidu CEO, Robin Li, identified a shift in AI development at both the technological level and business applications back in September 2022. The company noted that it has all the necessary technology related to the ChatGPT project, with a full-stack layout in its AI framework, including chips, deep learning frameworks, large models, and search applications.

Baidu has put years of effort into developing artificial intelligence. In March 2019, it proposed the ERNIE framework, which incorporates knowledge on the basis of deep learning and a continuous learning capability.