Baidu, the Chinese multinational tech company, experienced a noteworthy rebound in its stocks, climbing by 3.3% after facing a recent downturn. The market response came after rumors suggesting a potential link between Baidu’s chatbot ERNIE and military research, caused a significant drop in the company’s market value.
In response to the speculations, Baidu has swiftly issued an official statement vehemently denying any connections to military endeavors. The company clarified that its ERNIE Bot is publicly accessible and grounded in an academic paper from a Chinese university. Baidu further emphasized that it had no collaboration with the authors or the affiliated institutions mentioned in the academic paper, distancing itself from any military associations.
Pekingnology, renowned for its in-depth analysis, debunked the South China Morning Post (SCMP) claims, underscoring that the research in question involved only three prompts and three answers. Pekingnology characterized the research as a preliminary idea, not indicative of military AI, but rather exploring the theoretical use of language models.
Market analysts chimed in on the situation, with Macquarie’s research report suggesting that the market reaction to Baidu’s temporary stock decline was “overdone.” UBS also supported this viewpoint, asserting that the market likely overreacted to the SCMP news regarding language models (LLMs). UBS recommended a “Buy” rating for Baidu, providing a 12-month price target of US $175.
The positive investor response indicates a rebound in confidence following Baidu’s strong denial and clarifications. As the market reevaluates the situation, these developments underscore the delicate balance between speculative reports, company responses, and the broader financial landscape in the tech industry.
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