Baidu, the Chinese search engine giant, has taken legal action against Apple Inc and “relevant” app developers for creating counterfeit versions of its Ernie bot application, which are being distributed through Apple’s app store.
Ernie bot, which utilizes artificial intelligence, was recently launched by Baidu and is considered to be China’s closest equivalent to ChatGPT, a chatbot developed in the United States.
Baidu has lodged lawsuits against the developers responsible for the creation of the fraudulent Ernie bot apps and Apple itself in the Beijing Haidian People’s Court. According to Baidu, there are currently no official Ernie bot apps available.
In a statement issued on Friday via its official “Baidu AI” WeChat account, the company cautioned that any Ernie bot apps found in the App Store or other marketplaces are bogus. A photograph of the company’s court filing was also shared.
Apple has yet to comment on the situation. A Reuters search revealed that, as of Saturday, there were still at least four apps with the Chinese-language name of the Ernie bot available in Apple’s App Store, all of which were phony.
Access to the legitimate Ernie bot is only granted to users who apply for and receive access codes. In addition to filing legal action, Baidu warned individuals not to sell access codes.
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