This was reported by Reuters, Ukrinform reports.

Starting today, Ernie Bot, a ChatGPT-like chatbot, is available to all Baidu users, and SenseTime customers get full access to the SenseChat chatbot.

Two other Chinese artificial intelligence startups Baichuan Intelligent Technology and Zhipu AI also announced similar public launches on Thursday.

Following the announcement, shares of Baidu and SenseTime rose 3.1% and 2.7%, respectively, in Hong Kong’s early hours.

This was made possible by the country’s central government granting the relevant permits. Unlike other countries, companies in China must conduct a security assessment and obtain approval before launching their AI products to the mass market.

As technology increasingly becomes the focus of competition with the US, Chinese authorities have recently stepped up their efforts to support companies developing artificial intelligence.

Chinese media reported that a total of 11 companies, including giants such as ByteDance and Tencent Holdings, the owner of TikTok, received approval from the government.

It’s currently unclear whether Alibaba has received approval, but a company spokesperson told Reuters that the company has completed paperwork for the Tongyi Qianwen AI model and is awaiting its official launch. Alibaba expects regulators to give approval within the next week.

Given the fierce competition in the country’s internet industry, being the first company to market its own AI model in China is considered critical. For example, Baidu’s Ernie Bot ranked first in the free app category on the Apple App Store in China on Thursday, right after the announcement.

The Chinese government’s approval of AI-powered chatbots was expected after the country’s August 15 interim regulations, aimed at regulating productive AI products for the public, went into effect.

Previously, companies were only allowed to run small public tests of AI products, but the new rules give companies the opportunity to expand testing of AI products and add more features to them.

Chinese experts suggest that the government’s decision to allow AI products could trigger consolidation in the industry, as only large companies with the necessary datasets and technological capabilities can move forward.

Therefore, developers of AI models that are the first to receive government approval have an advantage and can adjust their products faster than their competitors.

As reported by Ukrinform, China’s regulatory authorities have ordered the country’s leading tech companies to ensure that their platforms do not offer access to ChatGPT or other services powered by this AI-based chatbot.

ChatGPT was blocked because it did not comply with China’s censorship laws.