Baidu is a Chinese multinational technology company specializing in Internet-related services and products.
It is one of the largest Internet companies in the world.
Baidu was founded in January 2000 by Robin Li and Eric Xu. Both of them are Chinese nationals who studied and worked abroad before returning to China. Baidu is headquartered in Beijing at the Baidu Campus.
The company’s name “Baidu” (literally “hundred degrees”) comes from a Chinese idiom that describes a person who is relentlessly searching for something. In December 2016, Baidu was ranked 4th overall in the Alexa Internet rankings.
As of October 2019, Baidu ranked first in China with a market share of 76.02%, ahead of second-ranked Alibaba and third-ranked Qihoo 360. Baidu offers many services, including a Chinese search engine for websites, audio files, and images.
It also offers an English-language search engine for websites. Baidu offers 57 search and community services including Baidu Baike (an online encyclopedia), Baidu Tieba (a web-based discussion forum), and Baidu Zhidao (a question-and-answer platform). Baidu has over 460 million monthly active users as of December 2019.
In October 2019, Baidu announced that it would invest US$1.5 billion in artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies over the next three years. Baidu’s core technology includes page ranking algorithms that it uses to rank search results, as well as natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning algorithms.
Baidu was the first Chinese company to be included in the NASDAQ-100 index. It has been frequently described as one of the most innovative companies in China.
In May 2017, Baidu announced a partnership with BMW to jointly develop autonomous driving technology.
The partnership includes the development of a “Baidu Intelligent Operating System” (Baidu IOS) for BMW vehicles.
In January 2018, Baidu announced a partnership with Ford to jointly develop autonomous vehicles and mobility services.
The partnership includes the development of a “Baidu Mobility Service Cloud” (BMSC) for Ford vehicles. In February 2018, Baidu announced a partnership with Volvo to jointly develop autonomous driving technology.
The partnership includes the development of a “Baidu Autonomous Driving Platform” (BADP) for Volvo vehicles. In March 2018, Baidu announced a partnership with Daimler to jointly develop autonomous driving technology.
The partnership includes the development of a “Baidu Automotive Intelligent Operating System” (BAIOS) for Daimler vehicles. In May 2018, Baidu announced a partnership with Toyota to jointly develop artificial intelligence (AI) technology for Toyota vehicles.
The partnership includes the development of a “Baidu Brain” system for Toyota vehicles. In November 2018, Baidu announced a partnership with Honda to jointly develop artificial intelligence (AI) technology for Honda vehicles. The partnership includes the development of a “Baidu Connect” system for Honda vehicles.
Baidu has been investing in autonomous driving technology since 2013. As of 2018, Baidu has completed over 10,000 autonomous driving tests on public roads in China. In December 2018, Baidu announced a partnership with Nvidia to jointly develop artificial intelligence (AI) technology for self-driving cars.
The partnership includes the development of a “Baidu Drive” system for Nvidia’s DRIVE AGX platform. In January 2019, Baidu announced a partnership with Continental AG to jointly develop artificial intelligence (AI) technology for self-driving cars.
The partnership includes the development of a “Baidu Intelligent Driving” system for Continental’s vehicles. In February 2019, Baidu announced a partnership with Valeo to jointly develop artificial intelligence (AI) technology for self-driving cars.
The partnership includes the development of a “Baidu Brain” system for Valeo’s vehicles. In March 2019, Baidu announced a partnership with SAIC Motor to jointly develop artificial intelligence (AI) technology for self-driving cars.
The partnership includes the development of a “Baidu Intelligent Driving” system for SAIC Motor’s vehicles. In May 2019, Baidu announced a partnership with Audi to jointly develop artificial intelligence (AI) technology for self-driving cars.
The partnership includes the development of a “Baidu Brain” system for Audi’s vehicles. In November 2019, Baidu announced a partnership with Geely to jointly develop artificial intelligence (AI) technology for self-driving cars.
The partnership includes the development of a “Baidu Intelligent Driving” system for Geely’s vehicles. Baidu has been working on driverless cars since 2013 and has completed over 10,000 autonomous driving tests on public roads in China.