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July 27, 2026Short & citedBlog
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How It Works • Search Engine

Baidu

Baidu, Inc.

Updated July 27, 20261 min readCited sources

Baidu is a Chinese multinational technology company best known for its search engine and internet services. It also develops artificial intelligence products, including large language models, cloud offerings, and autonomous driving technology.

What it is

Baidu, Inc. was founded in January 2000 by Robin Li and Eric Xu. It is a publicly traded company headquartered in Beijing, listed on NASDAQ and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Its core business is internet search in China, where it is the leading search engine, and it has expanded into maps, cloud services, mobile apps, and AI tools.

Key details

Baidu markets itself as an AI-first company, with major products including the ERNIE large language model, AI chips, and autonomous driving technology through Apollo. It is often compared to Google due to its dominance in Chinese web search and online services, though it primarily serves the Chinese market.

Why it matters

Baidu is a major non-Western competitor in internet search and AI, relevant to Canadian users for Chinese-language searches, business in China, or following global tech developments. It operates legally in China and is not generally banned worldwide, though availability can vary by network.

In short

  • Baidu is China's leading search engine and an AI-first company.
  • Founded in 2000 by Robin Li and Eric Xu, it is publicly traded.
  • Key AI products include ERNIE, AI chips, and autonomous driving tech.
  • Relevant globally as a Google competitor in search and AI.
Canadian angle

Canadian users may encounter Baidu when searching for Chinese-language information, doing business in China, or following developments in global AI and search technology. It is also relevant to Canadian readers as a major non-Western competitor to Google in internet search and AI.

Quick questions

What is Baidu?
Baidu is a Chinese technology company best known for its search engine, along with internet services and AI products.
Is Baidu like Google?
Yes, in the sense that both are major search and internet-service companies. Baidu is often described as the “Google of China,” but it operates mainly in the Chinese market and offers its own product ecosystem.
What is Baidu's AI?
Baidu’s AI includes its ERNIE large language models, AI cloud services, AI chips, and autonomous driving technologies. The company describes itself as an AI-first business.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baidu
    Supports: Baidu is a Chinese multinational technology company specializing in Internet services and artificial intelligence.
  2. Reuters — https://www.reuters.com/markets/companies/BIDU.O/
    Supports: Baidu is a Chinese-based internet search engine provider with Baidu Core and iQIYI divisions.
  3. TechTarget — https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/Baidu
    Supports: Baidu is a Chinese technology company founded by Robin Li and Eric Xu in 2000, headquartered in Beijing, and focused on internet search and AI.
  4. EBSCO — https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/baidu-inc
    Supports: Baidu is a leading Chinese-language internet services company known for its search engine and AI-related services.
  5. GlobalData — https://www.globaldata.com/company-profile/baidu-inc/
    Supports: Baidu provides internet-related search services and artificial intelligence solutions and is headquartered in Beijing.
  6. Forbes — https://www.forbes.com/companies/baidu/
    Supports: Baidu is a public company offering search and online marketing solutions, founded in 2000 and headquartered in Beijing.