Baidu's P800 Kunlun Cluster Illuminated for Advanced AI Tasks
China's leading search engine and tech giant Baidu has announced the successful activation of a cluster consisting of 30,000 third-generation P800 Kunlun AI chips. The milestone was revealed by CEO Robin Li during the company's annual developer conference, marking a significant leap forward in China's AI infrastructure development. The new cluster is poised to accelerate the training of extremely large-scale language models, similar to
DeepSeek, which contain hundreds of billions of parameters[1].
Capabilities to Serve Enterprise AI Needs
The newly "illuminated"—or switched on—P800 cluster brings formidable computing power to Baidu's arsenal. According to Li, the infrastructure can:
- Train DeepSeek-like models with hundreds of billions of parameters
- Support a thousand enterprise users simultaneously, each fine-tuning their own models containing billions of parameters
The high-performance chip cluster has already been adopted by major Chinese banks and internet companies, signaling strong market confidence in its capabilities[1].
Major AI Model Launches: Ernie 4.5 Turbo and Ernie X1 Turbo
In addition to infrastructure developments, Baidu's conference featured the unveiling of its newest [Ernie Bot](https://aiapps.com/items/ernie-bot) model, Ernie 4.5 Turbo. Li highlighted that Ernie 4.5 Turbo matches the best large language models in the industry in benchmark testing, showcasing robust abilities in areas such as programming and linguistic comprehension[1]. Baidu also introduced a new reasoning model, Ernie X1 Turbo, designed to deliver state-of-the-art performance in logical and deductive tasks.
These advancements will be integrated across Baidu’s suite of apps, including its cloud drive and the popular Baidu Wenku content platform, further embedding AI into everyday consumer experiences[1].
Shift from Model Creation to AI Applications
Robin Li emphasized a new phase in the AI landscape: "There are many (AI) models, but it's apps that rule the world. The application is the king," he noted. Li underscored that the true value of foundational models and AI hardware is unlocked through innovative applications that directly benefit users.
The latest product launches come amid intense competition in China's AI industry, with companies now focusing on real-world applications beyond high-profile chatbots like
ChatGPT. Baidu was one of the first major Chinese players to invest heavily in AI after
ChatGPT's 2022 debut, but its own [Ernie Bot](https://aiapps.com/items/ernie-bot) has faced stiff competition[1].
Baidu’s Position in China’s AI Race
Baidu’s rapid advancements highlight the growing emphasis on homegrown AI solutions and local chips, especially as tech competition intensifies and as China strives for self-sufficiency in strategic technologies. By offering world-class hardware and advanced models, Baidu aims to stay at the forefront of China’s AI transformation.
Looking Ahead
With its P800 Kunlun chip cluster and the launch of Ernie 4.5 Turbo, Baidu is well-positioned to support the next generation of AI services and applications, not just for its own ecosystem but also for industries seeking autonomous, high-performance AI capabilities.
