Baidu, not Google, to power AI on Samsung Galaxy S24 series phones in China

By Yoolim Lee

Samsung Electronics Co. will feature Baidu Inc.’s Ernie Bot as a key attraction of its new Galaxy S24 smartphone series in China.

The South Korean maker has pitched its latest handset family as the first of a wave of AI smartphones, and Baidu’s artificial intelligence tools will help with text summarization, organization and translation, Baidu said in a statement. It will also provide the backend support for Samsung’s “circle to search” feature, which is handled by Alphabet Inc.’s Google in other markets.

Google’s Android software provides the backbone for the majority of smartphones in China, but the company’s add-on mobile services and app store are not available, leaving it to local companies to fill gaps with alternatives like Tencent Holdings Ltd.’s WeChat. For Baidu, the Samsung deal marks a major adopter of its Ernie AI, one of the earliest and best efforts to create a Chinese challenger to OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

Samsung is making a push to expand its small share in China, the world’s largest smartphone market. The company’s foldable devices give it a distinctive position in the premium segment and deeper integration with local services such as Baidu’s may help entice more consumers to switch from Apple Inc.’s iPhone or local brands.