According to insiders, Baidu is set to unveil a new smart glasses product at the upcoming Baidu World Conference in Shanghai next week. These glasses will feature an integrated camera, support for photo and video capture, and offer voice interaction capabilities powered by Baidu's Wenxin large model.
In the global wave of AI commercialization, 2024 has seen the emergence of multiple AI hardware products. Although Humane's Ai Pin has underperformed, Microsoft's Copilot+ PC series has gained market recognition. Notably, Meta's smart glasses, developed in collaboration with EssilorMing, the manufacturer of Ray-Ban, as a relatively mature product, have made significant strides in both functionality and market performance this year. Meta reports that the product is in high demand, and EssilorMing has even listed it as one of the main drivers of sales growth.
Image from Yahoo
As a technology company with over a decade of experience in the AI field, Baidu's smart glasses will seamlessly integrate with its ecosystem products such as Baidu Maps and Baidu Encyclopedia. It is reported that the product is expected to be priced below Meta's $299 and could go on sale as early as the beginning of 2025.
Baidu's AI glasses are developed by its hardware division, Xiaodu. Xiaodu Technology received investments from IDG Capital and other investors in 2020, with a valuation of $2.9 billion. Currently, Xiaodu's main product lines include smart speakers and wireless headphones, all of which can connect to Baidu's content ecosystem.
Although Baidu has taken an early lead in the ChatGPT trend, its market position is facing challenges. ByteDance's Doubao has recently surpassed Wenxin Yiyan to become the most popular AI chatbot in China. Baidu's management also acknowledges that displaying AI-generated content in search services could negatively impact short-term advertising revenue.
In the domestic market, several new hardware manufacturers have launched AI glasses equipped with cameras and open-audio capabilities, with some focusing on specific functions such as translation and navigation. Meanwhile, Bloomberg reports that Apple is also conducting internal studies on existing related products in the market and may enter this field.
Baidu has yet to respond to requests for comment.