Baidu says AI now primary business driver despite 2% drop in first-quarter revenue

South China Morning Post - May 18, 2026

Baidu has reached a historic milestone as its artificial intelligence businesses surged to become its primary revenue driver in the first quarter, despite a 2 per cent dip in overall income, the Chinese tech giant said on Monday. The company’s AI-related businesses, including AI cloud, AI applications and AI marketing services, saw revenue grow to 13.6 billion yuan (US$2 billion), a 49 per cent year-on-year increase. “AI-powered business exceeded half of Baidu’s general business revenue for the...

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