Samsung chooses Baidu’s Ernie AI over Google for Chinese Market’s Galaxy S24 AI features

Samsung has chosen to integrate Baidu’s Ernie AI technology into its Galaxy S24 series for the Chinese market, replacing Google’s Gemini models. At the official launch event in China, Samsung Electronics China announced that Baidu’s Ernie AI would power Galaxy AI features, including translation and summaries, for the Chinese variant of the Galaxy S24. Unlike Western markets, where Google’s Gemini foundational models support Galaxy AI, the Chinese launch exclusively highlighted the capabilities of Baidu’s Ernie, a chatbot introduced in August, last year.

The Chinese iteration of the Galaxy S24 retains familiar AI features such as translation, summarisation, text formatting, and real-time call translation. Notably, Google’s Circle to Search feature is also included. Given the unavailability of Google services in China, Samsung has strategically turned to Baidu to facilitate Galaxy AI functionalities in the region. Baidu’s Ernie AI, specifically version 4.0, is touted as an advanced model comparable to OpenAI’s GPT-4, with 100 million users as of December.

Baidu asserts that Ernie’s capabilities encompass understanding, reasoning, memory, and generation. Samsung Electronics China and Baidu jointly stated that the upgraded Samsung Note Assistant, powered by Ernie, excels in translating and summarizing content efficiently.

This strategic substitution of AI technology is influenced by Google’s limited presence in China, where Android devices are sold without integral Google apps and services. Baidu had to secure approval from the Chinese government before launching Ernie.

Samsung’s prominence in the Chinese smartphone market has declined significantly over the past decade. A recent IDC report did not rank Samsung among the top five brands for mobile shipments in 2023. While Samsung held a substantial 20 percent market share in 2013, it dwindled to 1 percent by 2018, a trend that has persisted. To revitalize its business in China, Samsung is exploring partnerships with local content firms.

Ernie, positioned as a competitor to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, boasts human-like response generation capabilities. Launched in October 2023, Ernie 4.0 represents Baidu’s most powerful foundational model, proficient in understanding, reasoning, memory, and content generation. The collaboration between Samsung and Baidu signifies a strategic alliance to cater to the unique requirements of the Chinese market, where Google’s services are not readily available.