Today, Baidu officially released its financial report for the fourth quarter and the entire year ended December 31, 2024. The data shows that in the fourth quarter of 2024, Baidu achieved revenue of 34.1 billion yuan, a year-on-year decline of 2%; total annual revenue reached 133.1 billion yuan, down 1% year-on-year. The net profit attributable to Baidu for the fourth quarter was 5.2 billion yuan, with a non-GAAP net profit of 6.7 billion yuan; the total annual net profit attributable to Baidu was 23.8 billion yuan, with a non-GAAP net profit of 27 billion yuan.

A recent study from Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon University indicates that excessive reliance on artificial intelligence (AI) tools may be eroding people's critical thinking abilities. The research team surveyed 319 knowledge workers and collected 936 real-world examples of generative AI usage across various industries, including IT, design, administration, and finance. The study analyzed six dimensions of critical thinking: knowledge, understanding, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. The findings reveal that people's thinking patterns in problem-solving change significantly after using AI tools.

On February 17, Baidu announced the official launch of the Ernie Bot free rights card, which will be fully open for free use starting April 1. This news marks another significant move by Baidu in the field of artificial intelligence, aimed at further lowering the barrier for users to access AI technology and promoting the popularization and application of artificial intelligence.

According to the Tianyancha App, DeepSeek's associated company, Hangzhou DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence Basic Technology Research Co., Ltd., has recently undergone multiple changes in business registration. Pei Tian has stepped down as Executive Director and General Manager, now serving as Manager and Director; Wang Xianzhu has been added as the head of finance; and the company's business scope has been expanded to include Internet information services. The company was established in July 2023, with Pei Tian as the legal representative and a registered capital of 10 million RMB, co-held by Liang Wenfeng and his Ningbo Cheng'en Enterprise Management Consulting Partnership (Limited Partnership). Its business scope includes