Chinese internet search giant Baidu Inc and consumer electronics company Xiaomi Corp announced on Tuesday they have entered into an in-depth partnership on artificial intelligence and the internet of things (IoT), to offer an enhanced experience to users in consumer electronics and smart devices.

The partnership, revealed at Xiaomi's first IoT Developer Conference, marks a significant step in boosting China's smart manufacturing with advanced technologies, including AI, IoT and big data. Connecting AI and IoT will be a driving force to upgrade the manufacturing industry.

"The two companies have joined forces in forming a strong partnership to make users' experience more compelling, moving on to the next stage in AI development," said Baidu's COO Lu Qi.

"Xiaomi has accumulated solid experience in smart hardware, big data and established a smart devices ecosystem. Baidu has strong technological fundamentals in AI, and with Baidu's conversational AI system DuerOS, we are using our AI technologies and information ecosystems to support the development of the IoT industry," he said.

The partners will explore cooperation opportunities in various aspects, including voice recognition, deep learning, conversational AI and computer vision. In the future, the two companies will be able to provide users with better experience, as they are able to understand real scenarios, users and their needs better.

The IoT industry is promising and has enormous potential, and the applications of AI technologies are supporting its development. Baidu is using its DuerOS conversation-based AI system to support the development of the IoT industry.

In July, Badu launched the DuerOS open platform to make voice-enabled devices that can hear, understand and fulfill users' needs.  

Email: lansuying@nbd.com.cn