China's Baidu to launch ChatGPT-style bot in March: source
BEIJING -
Chinese internet search major Baidu Inc is planning to launch an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot service similar to OpenAI's ChatGPT in March, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The technology firm plans to launch the service as a standalone application and gradually merge it into its search engine, said the person, who declined to be identified as the information is confidential.
ChatGPT's technology works by learning from vast amounts of data how to answer prompts by users in a human-like manner, offering information like a search engine or even prose like an aspiring novelist.
Chatbots in China currently focus on social interaction whereas ChatGPT performs better at more professional tasks, such as programming and essay writing.
Baidu plans to incorporate chatbot-generated results when users make search requests, instead of only links, the person said.
Baidu declined to comment.
Microsoft Corp has a US$1 billion investment in San Francisco-based OpenAI that it has looked at increasing, Reuters has reported. The company has also worked to add OpenAI's image-generation software to its Bing search engine in a new challenge to Alphabet Inc's Google.
Beijing-based Baidu has been investing heavily in AI technology, including in cloud services, chips and autonomous driving, as it looks to diversify its revenue sources.
At a developer conference last month, Baidu unveiled three AI-powered "creators" whose technology allows them to assume the roles of screenwriter, illustrator, editor or animator.
(Reporting by Yingzhi Yang and Jyoti Narayan; Editing by Dhanya Ann Thoppil and Christopher Cushing)
RISKIN REPORTS
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Targeted inflation relief' coming in 2023 federal budget, Freeland says
The coming 2023 federal budget will 'exercise fiscal restraint' while also making 'significant' investments in health and building Canada's clean economy, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said Monday.
2 staff members, student suspect injured in stabbing at Halifax-area high school
Two staff members and a student -- who is also the suspect -- have been injured in a stabbing at a high school in Bedford, N.S., according to the Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE).
'Absolutely disgusting': B.C. councillor speaks out after Sikh international student swarmed, beaten
An international student was swarmed and beaten by a group of people who ripped off his turban and dragged him across the sidewalk by his hair in Kelowna, B.C., Friday evening, according to a local politician.
Fatal fire in Old Montreal raises questions about unauthorized Airbnbs
Mayor Valerie Plante said Monday she requested a meeting with an Airbnb executive after a building in Old Montreal — a short-term rental hot spot — was destroyed by a fire that has left six people missing.
W5 Investigates
W5 Investigates | How did a healthy teen die at a minor hockey camp?
The parents of young Ontario hockey player Ben Teague have been searching for answers since he died while at a team retreat in 2019. The mystery about what happened and the code of silence in hockey culture is explored in CTV W5's 'What Happened to Ben,' on CTVNews.ca and W5's official YouTube channel.
Conservatives forcing MPs to vote on striking new foreign interference study
In an effort to keep the foreign interference story at the forefront, and to do an apparent end run around the Liberal filibuster blocking one study from going ahead, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has forced the House to spend the day debating a motion instructing an opposition-dominated House committee to strike its own review.
Spring backwards? Why next spring will come earlier than it has in nearly 130 years
In the previous century, the spring equinox typically fell on March 21, but the first day of spring has slowly been moving. Here's why next year it will fall on March 19, for the first time since the 1800s.
Nexus program to resume by April 24 after yearlong standoff
The federal government says the Nexus trusted-traveller program will fully ramp back up within five weeks, allowing frequent border crossers to complete their applications and speed up their trips.
Amazon cuts 9,000 more jobs, bringing 2023 total to 27,000
Amazon plans to eliminate 9,000 more jobs in the next few weeks, CEO Andy Jassy said in a memo to staff on Monday.
Canada
-
2 staff members, student suspect injured in stabbing at Halifax-area high school
Two staff members and a student -- who is also the suspect -- have been injured in a stabbing at a high school in Bedford, N.S., according to the Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE).
-
6 missing after Old Montreal fire 'probably still in the rubble': Police
Officials are still looking for victims after a fire ripped through a building in Old Montreal last week, killing at least one person. At a press conference Monday morning, spokespersons for the Montreal police and Montreal fire department said six people are still missing. They come from various locations in Quebec, Ontario and the U.S.
-
Manitoba funding centralized hub to handle province's 'high rates' of missing persons reports
Manitoba is planning to create an integrated missing persons response unit, sharing information between police agencies, Child and Family Services (CFS), and Indigenous advocates when someone goes missing.
-
Nexus program to resume by April 24 after yearlong standoff
The federal government says the Nexus trusted-traveller program will fully ramp back up within five weeks, allowing frequent border crossers to complete their applications and speed up their trips.
-
Nordstrom Canada to begin liquidation Tuesday after receiving court's permission
The liquidation sales at Nordstrom stores across Canada will begin Tuesday.
-
Fatal fire in Old Montreal raises questions about unauthorized Airbnbs
Mayor Valerie Plante said Monday she requested a meeting with an Airbnb executive after a building in Old Montreal — a short-term rental hot spot — was destroyed by a fire that has left six people missing.
World
-
U.S. aid worker kidnapped in Niger released after 6 years
An American aid worker who was kidnapped in the West African nation of Niger more than six years ago has been released from custody, the Biden administration said Monday.
-
Pakistani police arrest scores more Imran Khan supporters
Pakistani police on Monday arrested scores more supporters of former prime minister Imran Khan for attacking officers over the weekend outside an Islamabad court where the ousted premier was to appear on graft charges, officials said.
-
Donors pledge $7.5 billion for Turkiye, Syria after quake
The European Union and international donors on Monday pledged seven billion euros (US$7.5 billion) to help Turkiye and Syria in the aftermath of the earthquake that devastated parts of the neighbouring countries last month.
-
Russian President Putin sticks to protocol during Chinese leader Xi's visit
President Vladimir Putin wasn't waiting at the end of the red carpet to greet Chinese leader Xi Jinping upon his arrival in Russia on Monday for a high-profile visit. But it wasn't a snub.
-
Former Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou will visit China
Former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou will visit China next week in what a spokesman called a bid to ease tensions between the self-ruled island and the mainland. Ma presided over a period of warm ties with Beijing, but left office under a cloud after a trade deal with the mainland failed to win approval.
-
Thailand dissolves Parliament ahead of May elections
Thailand's Parliament was dissolved Monday by a government decree, setting the stage for a May general election that poses an opportunity to lessen the military's influence in politics.
Politics
-
'Targeted inflation relief' coming in 2023 federal budget, Freeland says
The coming 2023 federal budget will 'exercise fiscal restraint' while also making 'significant' investments in health and building Canada's clean economy, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said Monday.
-
Conservatives forcing MPs to vote on striking new foreign interference study
In an effort to keep the foreign interference story at the forefront, and to do an apparent end run around the Liberal filibuster blocking one study from going ahead, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has forced the House to spend the day debating a motion instructing an opposition-dominated House committee to strike its own review.
-
Canada's foreign minister says China peace talks in Moscow will prolong Ukraine war
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly says China's attempts to broker peace in Ukraine will likely just help Russia re-arm and prolong the conflict.
Health
-
Donald Trump silent on abortion as '24 campaign pushes forward
No elected Republican has done more to restrict abortion rights in the U.S. than Donald Trump, but in the early days of the 2024 presidential contest, no Republican has worked harder to avoid the issue than the former president.
-
Bruce Willis' wife Emma Heming marks his birthday with moving message about grief
As Bruce Willis turned 68 on Sunday, his wife Emma Heming marked the day with a candid message about caring for someone living with frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
-
W5 Investigates
W5 Investigates | How did a healthy teen die at a minor hockey camp?
The parents of young Ontario hockey player Ben Teague have been searching for answers since he died while at a team retreat in 2019. The mystery about what happened and the code of silence in hockey culture is explored in CTV W5's 'What Happened to Ben,' on CTVNews.ca and W5's official YouTube channel.
Sci-Tech
-
Spring backwards? Why next spring will come earlier than it has in nearly 130 years
In the previous century, the spring equinox typically fell on March 21, but the first day of spring has slowly been moving. Here's why next year it will fall on March 19, for the first time since the 1800s.
-
Parliamentary committee summons Mark Zuckerberg over Meta's threat to block news
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is being summoned by a parliamentary committee for the third time in four years -- this time over the tech company's threat to block news from Canadians on its social-media platforms.
-
Elon Musk's satellites are muddling UFO sighting statistics, researchers say
A slight increase in UFO sightings in 2020 compared to pre-pandemic years may not be because of the pandemic itself, but because of Elon Musk’s new internet satellites, researchers found.
Entertainment
-
Bruce Willis sings with his family in birthday tribute video from ex Demi Moore
Demi Moore has shared a touching message dedicated to her ex-husband Bruce Willis on his first birthday since being diagnosed with dementia.
-
Jury convicts 3 of murder in death of rapper XXXTentacion
A Florida jury has convicted three men of murder in the 2018 killing of star rapper XXXTentacion, who was shot during a robbery that netted US$50,000.
-
'Songs are the close-up': Why Disney tunes differ in movies and musicals
Composer Alan Menken explains how special it was to write songs for Disney animated movies and to now help adapt the songs for the stage.
Business
-
French government survives 1st no-confidence vote
The French government survived a no-confidence vote Monday in the lower chamber of parliament and was expected to survive a second, after its push last week to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.
-
Amazon cuts 9,000 more jobs, bringing 2023 total to 27,000
Amazon plans to eliminate 9,000 more jobs in the next few weeks, CEO Andy Jassy said in a memo to staff on Monday.
-
Canada's central bank joins others in effort to calm markets after UBS deal to buy Credit Suisse
Some of the world's largest central banks came together on Sunday to stop a banking crisis from spreading as Swiss authorities persuaded UBS Group AG to buy rival Credit Suisse Group AG in a historic deal.
Lifestyle
-
The world's happiest countries for 2023
The 2023 World Happiness Report identifies the happiest nations, those at the very bottom of the happiness scale and everything in between, plus the factors that tend to lead to greater happiness.
-
New Mexico Game and Fish is now hiring 'professional bear huggers'
Bear lovers rejoice: The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish is hiring for 'professional bear huggers' with an adorable job listing posted on Facebook.
-
Experience Regina apologizes following criticism over 'offensive' slogans
Some residents of Saskatchewan's capital city have been vocal with their disapproval of Tourism Regina's latest rebrand, prompting an apology from the organization.
Sports
-
March Madness: Sweet 16 matchups are set after wild weekend
March Madness is heading to the Sweet 16 without a handful of top teams. Two No. 1 seeds, Kansas and Purdue, No. 2 seed Arizona and No. 4 seed Virginia are all gone -- and gone with them are millions of busted brackets.
-
W5
W5 | Parents of young player who died struggle to find answers within hockey's code of silence
The parents of young Ontario hockey player Ben Teague have been searching for answers since he died while at a team retreat in 2019. The mystery about what happened and the code of silence in hockey culture is explored in 'What Happened to Ben' on CTV W5.
-
Canada Soccer officials defend controversial deal with Canadian Soccer Business
Canada Soccer defended its controversial deal with Canada Soccer Business under questioning on Parliament Hill by the House of Commons heritage committee.
Autos
-
Scratched EV battery? Your insurer may have to junk the whole car
For many electric vehicles, there is no way to repair or assess even slightly damaged battery packs after accidents, forcing insurance companies to write off cars with few miles - leading to higher premiums and undercutting gains from going electric.
-
Ford recalls 1.5M vehicles to fix brake hoses, wiper arms
Ford is recalling more than 1.5 million vehicles in the U.S. in two actions to fix leaky brake hoses and windshield wiper arms that can break.
-
Volkswagen to invest in mines in bid to become global battery supplier
Volkswagen plans to invest in mines to bring down the cost of battery cells, meet half of its own demand and sell to third-party customers, the carmaker's board member in charge of technology said.
