Samsung to integrate Baidu's Ernie AI Model into Galaxy S24 Series

Samsung Electronics is teaming up with Baidu to integrate the Chinese internet giant's large language model (LLM) into its latest flagship 5G device, the Galaxy S24 series, in China.

This collaboration aims to strengthen Samsung's presence in the world's largest smartphone market, where domestic rivals are increasingly adopting AI features.

South China Morning Post reports that under the partnership, Baidu's Ernie LLM will power the Galaxy S24 series' "Circle to Search" feature, which allows users to search texts, images, or videos using hand gestures. Ernie will also assist with text translation, summarization, and speech transcription in multiple languages through the Note Assistant function.

While Google's Gemini AI technology powers Samsung's global AI-enabled 5G smartphones, the company had to turn to Baidu for its China-specific models due to the unavailability of Google and OpenAI's LLMs in the mainland. This strategic partnership underscores Samsung's commitment to providing competitive AI features to Chinese consumers.

The integration of AI into smartphones is gaining traction among major Chinese handset vendors, with Honor, Oppo, and others launching devices equipped with their own LLMs. Baidu, too, is expanding its AI capabilities, having recently opened its Ernie Bot service to the general public and unveiling the latest version of its LLM, Ernie 4, designed for various industries.

As AI regulations tighten in China, Samsung and Baidu must ensure that their collaboration adheres to government guidelines. Last August, China imposed detailed regulations governing domestic generative AI services, requiring firms to promote healthy content and align with "core socialist values."

Baidu Search, Baidu's flagship search engine, is the most popular search engine in China, with over 70% of the market share.