There is a common belief among techies these days that with the arrival of AI and algorithms, professions such as those that of artists are becoming extinct. Art made by AI or algorithmic art is certainly beautiful, unique and in some cases, novel but it is still not capable of replacing traditional art. Algorithmic art is always derivative. That's not to say that the algorithms can't produce exceptional and distinctive images. My personal favorite are the images produced by the Deep Art algorithm.

Why do you think that could help you regain your edge? LI: First, every company has its own DNA. Baidu is a technology company. During the desktop age, in order to serve the users better, you just needed to come out with the best technology to rank contents on the internet. I think that's what we are good at.

Marking a heightening of interest in autonomous vehicle technology, China's largest search engine Baidu announced plans to mass-produce self-driving cars within five years Forbes reported in an article that Baidu's senior vice president Wang Jing announced that his firm is planning…