Baidu has launched MuseSteamer, an AI-powered image-to-video generator, as part of a strategy to enhance its competitive edge in the AI market.

The MuseSteamer offers three business configurations—Turbo, Pro, and Lite—but is not currently available to the general public.

This new platform supports voice commands in various Chinese dialects and features visual search functionalities, making it user-friendly.

Targeting industries like digital marketing, gaming, e-commerce, and content production, MuseSteamer aims to reduce production costs and streamline content workflows.

Accompanying MuseSteamer is the Huixiang platform, designed to simplify the video creation process for both professionals and enthusiasts.

These developments come as Baidu faces a significant decline in ad revenue, with online marketing revenue falling to $2.21 billion in Q1 2025, a 6% decrease year-over-year.

Baidu's advertising revenue has been impacted by stiff competition from ByteDance's Doubao and Tencent's Yuanbao, which have seen increased user engagement.

The introduction of MuseSteamer is expected to attract marketers focused on social media campaigns, positioning Baidu against competitors in the video generation market.

MuseSteamer has achieved a notable score of 89.38 percent on the VBench I2V benchmark, ranking first globally in image-to-video generation.

Baidu's leadership has emphasized the need for evolution, aiming to improve performance rather than merely compete with others.

The recent upgrade to Baidu's search engine offers contextually targeted results, enhancing user intent understanding and providing more personalized answers.

The updated mobile app now emphasizes natural-language processing and AI chatbot functionalities, allowing for multimodal inputs and reducing reliance on traditional keyword searches.