China has once again demonstrated its prowess in artificial intelligence. Baidu, often dubbed the "Google of China," has just dropped two groundbreaking large language models (LLMs) – ERNIE 4.5 and ERNIE X1. These models not only outperform top-tier models like GPT-4.5 and DeepSeek R1 but also do so at a fraction of the cost. In fact, ERNIE 4.5 beats GPT-4.5 at just 1% of its price, and ERNIE X1 matches DeepSeek R1’s performance for half the cost – and both are completely free to use. In this blog, we’ll dive deep into what ERNIE 4.5 and ERNIE X1 offer, review their performance across various tasks, discuss pricing, and examine their potential impact on the global AI market. The AI price war is on, and China is making intelligence too cheap to meter. ERNIE 4.5 and ERNIE X1 are the latest multimodal LLMs developed by Baidu, a leading Chinese technology company known for its dominance in search and its rapid advancements in AI. Building on years of research and the success of earlier models like ERNIE 3.0 Titan, Baidu has now introduced these two models that combine advanced reasoning with cost efficiency. ERNIE 4.5 is a powerful multimodal foundation model capable of processing and generating text, images, audio, and video. With significant improvements in understanding, generation, and memory, ERNIE 4.5 outperforms GPT-4.5 in multiple benchmarks while costing just 1% of what GPT-4.5 does. ERNIE X1 is designed as a deep reasoning model with multimodal capabilities. It focuses on advanced context understanding, planning, and reflective thought processes. Remarkably, ERNIE X1 matches the performance of DeepSeek R1 at only 50% of its cost, making it an attractive option for enterprises seeking robust AI capabilities without high expenses. Baidu has made these models available in two ways: Baidu has showcased the impressive performance of these models through a series of tests across various domains: ERNIE 4.5 was put to the test by solving mathematical problems presented in image format. The model quickly analyzed the image, broke down the problem, and provided accurate results, demonstrating its strength in combining visual and logical reasoning. When given multiple documents, ERNIE 4.5 efficiently processed various file types and summarized key information. This capability is invaluable for research analysis, legal document review, and corporate reporting. ERNIE 4.5’s audio analysis feature is groundbreaking. It not only identifies the source of an audio clip but also explains its significance. This function is especially useful for real-time transcription, voice search, and media analysis. ERNIE X1 shines in creative tasks such as interior design. In a demonstration, it analyzed an image of a room, suggested decor improvements, and generated a revised image reflecting those enhancements. This opens up exciting possibilities in interior design, real estate staging, and virtual decor visualization. One of the most striking features of these new models is their cost efficiency: These pricing figures make ERNIE 4.5 and X1 not only highly competitive but also a game changer in the AI price war. With such low costs, AI becomes more accessible and affordable for businesses and developers. Preliminary benchmark results reveal that: The release of ERNIE 4.5 and ERNIE X1 marks a significant milestone in the global AI landscape. With models that are not only highly capable but also incredibly cost-effective, the AI price war is heating up. This shift will drive faster AI advancements, make sophisticated AI more affordable for businesses and developers, and accelerate the adoption of multimodal AI applications across industries. As Chinese AI labs continue to push boundaries, Western companies may be forced to innovate faster and lower their costs, ultimately benefiting end users with more accessible and powerful AI solutions. Baidu’s latest releases, ERNIE 4.5 and ERNIE X1, are clear indicators of how quickly AI is evolving – and at prices that challenge the status quo. ERNIE 4.5 not only outperforms GPT-4.5 in key tasks at a fraction of the cost, but ERNIE X1 matches the performance of DeepSeek R1 for only half the price. With both models being 100% free to use via Baidu’s platforms, the future of AI is becoming a commodity that is too cheap to meter. As competition intensifies and prices drop further, we can expect rapid innovation and wider adoption across industries. Baidu’s new models are not just a win for China’s tech sector – they are a win for the entire global AI community. A: ERNIE 4.5 delivers deeper world knowledge, better user intent understanding, and superior multimodal performance while costing only 1% of the price of GPT-4.5. A: ERNIE X1 matches DeepSeek R1’s performance in reasoning tasks but at half the cost, making it a highly cost-effective solution. A: Yes, both ERNIE 4.5 and ERNIE X1 are 100% free to use on Baidu’s ERNIE Bot platform. A: You can access them via Baidu’s ERNIE Bot for individual use or through Baidu AI Cloud’s API (currently only ERNIE 4.5 is available via API). A: They signal a major shift in AI pricing and accessibility, forcing global competitors to innovate faster and offer more affordable solutions.Table of Contents
1. What are ERNIE 4.5 & X1?
ERNIE 4.5
ERNIE X1
2. How to Access ERNIE 4.5 & X1?
3. ERNIE 4.5 & X1 Performance Check
Task 1: Reasoning + Image Analysis
Task 2: Document Analysis + Summarization
Task 3: Audio Analysis
Task 4: Creativity + Image Generation
4. Baidu’s ERNIE 4.5 & X1: Pricing
Model Input Price (per million tokens) Output Price (per million tokens) Availability ERNIE 4.5 $0.55 $2.20 Available ERNIE X1 $0.28 $1.10 Coming Soon (via API) 5. ERNIE 4.5 & X1: Standard Benchmark Results
6. Future Impact
7. Conclusion
8. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What makes ERNIE 4.5 different from GPT-4.5?
Q2: How does ERNIE X1 compare to DeepSeek R1?
Q3: Are these models free to use?
Q4: How can I access these models?
Q5: What impact will these models have on the AI market?
