In October, ERNIE 4.0, an updated version of Baidu's first ChatGPT challenger, was launched. According to Baidu CEO Robin Li, who is worth billions, ERNIE 4.0 is not inferior to GPT-4, the flagship model from OpenAI. We tested both bots by inputting written prompts in their primary languages.
ERNIE, which is primarily designed for Chinese, can process simple English queries as well. On the other hand, GPT-4, optimized for English, can handle queries in various languages, including German.
In several cases, ERNIE outperformed GPT-4 in responding to timely events, such as current financial news and celebrity deaths. Conversely, some information provided by GPT-4 has become outdated over time.
For instance, when inquired about Taylor Swift's financial status, ERNIE acknowledged that she had become a billionaire, while GPT-4's answer referred to her previous net worth. Similarly, when asked about Friends star Matthew Perry's demise, ERNIE acknowledged the passing, while GPT-4's answer was not up-to-date.
ERNIE and GPT-4 were given a task to assist a hard-working graphic designer in requesting a salary raise from her boss. Both bots responded with persuasive arguments, but ERNIE provided additional tips on considering the company's atmosphere and financial constraints. GPT suggested including a record of recent achievements in the petition.
When asked to propose healthy meal ideas for the week, both bots suggested protein-rich, low-carb meals, such as grilled chicken salad and various vegetable wraps. The responses were almost identical.
However, ERNIE occasionally showed confusion with simple prompts, even in its primary language. When asked to compose a romantic haiku for a distant relative, it produced a Chinese poem sans the required structure. In contrast, GPT followed the haiku rules and produced a compelling piece about the sea, describing the moon and the heart's journey.
Regarding sensitive matters, ERNIE remained quiet when asked about Chinese politics, notably the Tiananmen Square incident. When asked about Xi Jinping's elimination of presidential term limits, which allowed him to rule China indefinitely, ERNIE refused to reply. Likewise, GPT provided relevant but diplomatic responses to controversial questions, such as race relations and police reforms in the U.S.
In terms of technical capabilities, ERNIE has the edge in generating and understanding responses, as well as in argumentation. While GPT-4 is versatile and can generate text and code, ERNIE excels in multimodal capabilities, allowing it to incorporate images and videos into its responses. In addition, ERNIE is expected to be customizable for various industry applications.
Baidu's ERNIE is popular with 70 million users, but it lags behind ChatGPT, which boasts an estimated 150 million users. In the weeks leading up to ChatGPT's first birthday on November 30, OpenAI released an upgraded version, GPT-4 Turbo, for paying customers. As of now, it's not yet open to the public.
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In summary, while both ERNIE and GPT-4 have distinct strengths, ERNIE demonstrates better understanding, generation, and argumentation capabilities, as well as multimodal support. However, GPT-4's versatility and industry-specific customization serve as unique draws. Ultimately, the choice between these two stellar models depends on factors such as specific applications and language preferences.
