Baidu’s virtual assistant ‘Duer’ given dedicated business unit

Baidu, China’s largest online search engine operator, has set up a new specialist unit focusing on developing (its conversational artificial intelligence (AI)-powered robot as it looks to prioritise commercialising voice-activated devices and services.

The Nasdaq-listed Baidu said on Thursday it had created the Duer Business Unit, as it heightens its development focus on “Duer”, the company’s AI-powered digital assistant that can connect people with services through conversational user interface.

Functioning similar to Apple’s personal assistant “Siri”, Duer – first unveiled in September 2015 as an conversational AI system – has become the cornerstone of Baidu’s innovation in various voice-activated products, including a voice-activated TV assistant and a family robot with video chat and streaming capabilities.

As well the new business unit, Baidu also announced its acquisition on Thursday of the Beijing startup Raven Tech, a specialist in applying voice-controlled artificial intelligence to smart home systems.

Neither party revealed the value of the takeover, but Baidu said Raven Tech’s 27-year-old founder Lu Cheng will now lead the company’s smart home devices business, working with its Duer team.

He will report directly to the tech giant’s newly appointed chief operating officer, Lu Qi, who leads the company’s products, technology, sales, and marketing and operations divisions.

Raven Tech is Baidu’s latest acquisition of an AI-focused company, underlining a shift in the firm’s overall business model towards AI, under former Microsoft global executive vice president Lu Qi, who joined in January.