BEIJING, June 28 (Reuters) - Chinese search engine giant

Baidu ( BIDU ) on Friday unveiled an upgraded version of its

artificial intelligence (AI) model, Ernie 4.0 Turbo, as it seeks

to maintain its position in China's competitive AI market.

The launch follows the October 2023 release of Ernie 4,

which Baidu ( BIDU ) claimed rivaled OpenAI's GPT-4 in capabilities.

The new model will be accessible to the public via web and

mobile app interfaces, with developers able to integrate the

technology through Baidu's ( BIDU ) Qianfan AI platform, the company's

Chief Technology Officer Wang Haifeng said at a corporate event.

Wang said Ernie has reached 300 million users since its

launch. Baidu ( BIDU ) on Friday also announced an upgrade to its

PaddlePaddle AI ecosystem, which it said now supports 14.65

million developers and serves 370,000 businesses and

institutions.

OpenAI announced this week plans to block access to its API

from China and other countries starting July 9. The decision

affects numerous Chinese startups that have been using OpenAI's

technology.

In response, Baidu ( BIDU ), Alibaba ( BABA ) and other domestic AI

firms have launched initiatives to attract affected users,

offering free migration services and incentives.