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By LI Jingya

WANG Xiaochuan, CEO of AI startup Baichuan Intelligence, has told the media that while the US has clearly embraced open-source large models, China’s landscape remains uncertain.

In China, the race is ongoing, providing opportunities for various players, not just big corporations, the former Sogou boss said.

Baichuan Intelligence has begun testing its third business-to-business large model, Baichuan-53B, after just four months of operations.

Baichuan’s progress has already positioned it as a contender in the large model arena with many veterans of Sogou, China"s top search engine, reuniting with Wang, adding depth to Baichuan’s expertise.

Baichuan Intelligence began life with US$50 million (360 million yuan) already in the bank, mainly thanks to Wang and friends. The first round of financing took the company over US$500,000. After the upcoming round of financing, the valuation will likely exceed US$1 billion.