Baidu (9888. HK), a Chinese search engine, sued “relevant” app developers and Apple Inc. (AAPL.O) for bogus versions of its Ernie bot app in Apple’s app store.
Last month’s Ernie bot, backed by artificial intelligence, has been called China’s ChatGPT.
Baidu filed lawsuits in Beijing Haidian People’s Court against Ernest Bot counterfeiters and Apple.
“Ernie does not have any official app,” Baidu claimed late Friday on its “Baidu AI” WeChat account.
It shared a court filing photo.
“Ernie apps from App Store or other shops are phony until our company’s formal announcement,” it said.
Apple did not immediately react.
On Saturday, Reuters identified four bogus Ernie bot apps in Apple’s App Store.
Ernie bot users must apply for and acquire access credentials. Baidu advised against selling access credentials.
