Shares of Baidu (NASDAQ:BIDU) gained about 1% on Tuesday after reports said the company’s flagship artificial intelligence assistant has crossed a major usage threshold. According to The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, Baidu’s Ernie Assistant has now surpassed 200 million monthly active users.
The milestone comes as Baidu continues to embed its Ernie model more deeply into its core search product and PC software. The assistant has evolved into a gateway for third-party services, enabling functions such as flight bookings through Trip.com and food delivery via Meituan.
Competition in generative AI remains intense globally. While Ernie’s growth highlights Baidu’s progress at home, OpenAI’s ChatGPT still dominates worldwide adoption, with estimates of more than 810 million monthly active users based on recent TechCrunch reporting citing SensorTower data.
Pressure is also rising within China. Alibaba Group (NYSE:BABA) said its Qwen assistant exceeded 100 million monthly active users in January 2026, reaching that level just two months after launching a public beta.
In response, Baidu has broadened the scope of its “AI Super App,” adding features such as health and legal guidance, along with tools for generating high-quality images and videos. Investors appear increasingly optimistic that these expanding user bases can be converted into sustainable revenue streams.