DeepSeek’s Meteoric Rise Forces Baidu to Drop Chatbot Paywalls
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Baidu CEO Robin Li speaks during the company's Create conference in Shenzhen, China, on April 16, 2024. Photo: Bloomberg
Following DeepSeek’s launch of free AI chatbot for the public, OpenAI and Baidu Inc. have followed suit, announcing free access to their own chatbot services, intensifying competition in the AI chatbot market.
Baidu said Thursday that its PC-based and mobile chatbot Ernie Bot would become fully free starting April 1, granting users access to its latest AI models with capabilities such as long-text processing, retrieval-augmented generation, AI-generated images and multilingual conversations.
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- DeepSeek's emergence with a free AI chatbot has prompted OpenAI and Baidu to introduce free access to their chatbot services, intensifying market competition.
- OpenAI's GPT-5 will offer a base version for free, with advanced versions available via paid plans; Baidu will make Ernie Bot free, incorporating various AI capabilities.
- Industry leaders recognize DeepSeek's rapid growth and impact, alongside debates about open-source versus closed-source AI models, influencing company strategies and future innovations.
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Who’s Who
- DeepSeek
- DeepSeek launched a free AI chatbot app on January 15, causing a significant disruption in the AI chatbot market. Its website traffic surged by 2,257% in January to 278 million visits, surpassing platforms like Apple iCloud and Salesforce. This rapid growth is considered a factor in OpenAI and Baidu's decision to offer free chatbot access.
- OpenAI
- OpenAI has announced free access to the base version of GPT-5, while maintaining advanced versions behind a paywall. The company offers four paid plans: Team and Enterprise for businesses, and Plus and Pro for individuals. Plus users have access to all OpenAI models, and Pro users enjoy unlimited model usage and exclusive access to the AI agent, Operator. OpenAI's decision followed DeepSeek’s rapid market disruption with its free chatbot.
- Baidu Inc.
- Baidu Inc. announced that its chatbot, Ernie Bot, would become fully free from April 1, offering access to advanced AI features like long-text processing and multilingual conversations. Baidu had launched a 49.9 yuan monthly membership in November 2023 to access its latest AI model and additional features. CEO Robin Li commented on the importance of investment in innovation and enterprise applications, noting that consumer-facing AI is still secondary to mobile internet platforms.
- Anthropic
- Anthropic's chatbot, Claude, follows a pricing model similar to others in the AI chatbot market. Previously, they introduced paid plans for access to their latest models and additional features. However, specific details about Anthropic’s current pricing or features compared to OpenAI or Baidu were not provided in the article.
- Zhipu AI
- Zhipu AI offers a chatbot called Zhipu Qingyan, with a 19-yuan monthly plan that provides unlimited model access and video generation. It is part of the group of Chinese AI companies with simpler pricing models and is competing in the AI chatbot market by offering cost-effective solutions.
- Moonshot AI
- Moonshot AI's Kimi AI Assistant allows users to tip rather than tying payments to access, distinguishing itself from other AI companies. This model suggests flexibility and user-friendliness, likely aiming to build community engagement rather than solely focusing on monetization through subscriptions.
- MiniMax
- MiniMax's Xingye App markets itself as an AI content community rather than a chatbot service. While it has paid features, the focus is on community engagement rather than subscription-based access like other Chinese AI companies.
- Salesforce
- Salesforce is mentioned as a platform that DeepSeek has already surpassed in website traffic, despite its lower overall visit count compared to ChatGPT. In January, DeepSeek's website reached 278 million visits, indicating rapid growth in the AI chatbot market.
- Apple
- The article briefly mentions that DeepSeek's website traffic has surpassed platforms like Apple iCloud, indicating significant growth in comparison to Apple's service.
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What Happened When
- November 2022：
- OpenAI first launched ChatGPT and it was free.
- February 2023：
- OpenAI introduced a $20-a-month "ChatGPT Plus" subscription.
- March 2023：
- GPT-4 launched by OpenAI, with immediate access for Plus users.
- August 2023：
- OpenAI launched an enterprise version of ChatGPT.
- November 2023：
- Baidu introduced a 49.9 yuan monthly membership for Ernie Bot.
- January 2024：
- OpenAI introduced ChatGPT Team with pricing for small groups.
- April 2024：
- Robin Li had argued internally that closed-source models would remain superior.
- May 2024：
- Free users gained access to GPT-4o.
- December 2024：
- OpenAI launched ChatGPT Pro with a $200-per-month plan.
- January 2025：
- DeepSeek's website traffic surged significantly.
- January 15, 2025：
- DeepSeek launched its public chatbot app.
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