The Censorship Drag

Robin Li, chairman and chief executive officer of Baidu Inc., during a launch event for the company's Ernie Bot in Beijing, China, March 16, 2023. *Credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images*

Last week, the public got a peek at China’s best shot at competing in the chatbot craze when search giant Baidu released its chatbot, named Ernie. It didn’t go well. Baidu’s stock fell 10 percent shortly after Ernie’s reveal, largely because CEO Robin Li demonstrated Ernie’s capabilities with a pre-recorded video, not a live demo, leaving many doubtful about the chatbot’s true capabilities. (Baidu’s stock has since rebounded.) While internet users are free to experiment wi

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Face-Off: U.S. vs. China

A podcast about the turbulent relationship between the world's two superpowers, the two men who run them, and the vital issues that affect us all.

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