Baidu, one of China’s most prominent AI companies, launched the Xiaodu AI Glasses at its Baidu World 2024 conference in Shanghai on Tuesday, declaring them to be the “world’s first native AI glasses powered by a Chinese large language model.” The Xiaodu AI Glasses feature first-person perspective photography, real-time mobile Q&A functionality, calorie tracking, an object encyclopedia, visual and audio translation, and intelligent reminders.
At the main forum, Baidu’s founder Robin Li said the daily use volume of the company’s ERNIE Foundational Model has exceeded 1.5 billion, growing 7.5 times in less than half a year. Baidu’s chief technology officer, Wang Haifeng, revealed that ERNIE Bot’s user base has now reached 430 million.
Why it matters: Baidu’s AI glasses integrate AI software and hardware, while the rapid growth of ERNIE Bot’s daily usage and user base shows the increasing adoption of AI-powered technologies in China.
Details: Baidu’s AI glasses will be launched in the first half of 2025, according to the company.
- Weighing 45 grams, the Xiaodu AI Glasses feature a 16MP ultra-wide camera with AI-powered anti-shake, offer up to 56 hours of standby time and over 5 hours of continuous use, and can be fully charged in just 30 minutes.
- The glasses combine a four-microphone array and custom open-design sound leakage prevention speakers. Notably, the glasses can recognize the direction of the sound source, distinguishing between noises made by the wearer and others.
- Baidu’s AI glasses enhance the user experience by freeing up hands and offering a first-person perspective for capturing key moments while traveling, the company claimed. Integrated with Baidu Maps and search functions, the glasses enable on-the-go access to historical and cultural information in travel scenarios. Combining visual and location-based technologies, the device functions as a “walking encyclopedia” for real-time exploration and learning, according to Baidu.
Context: At the event, Baidu announced a range of new AI technologies and solutions to accelerate the boom of AI applications, featuring iRAG (Image-Based Retrieval-Augmented Generation), a new technology designed to tackle hallucinations in image generation, and Miaoda, a no-code tool that empowers businesses and individuals to create applications.
- Leveraging Baidu Search’s vast collection of hundreds of millions of images and the company’s strong foundation model capabilities, iRAG enables text-to-image models to deliver hyper-realistic visuals while also reducing the cost of image production.
