For the first time in the AI chatbot industry, a major shift has occurred. Companies like Baidu and OpenAI, which previously charged premium subscriptions for their advanced AI chatbot services developed with massive investments, are now offering them for free. This move comes after China's AI sensation, DeepSeek, started providing its advanced AI chatbot services globally at no cost, forcing other leading companies to follow suit.

Baidu, the Beijing-based internet giant, has been offering AI chatbot services under the name "Ernie Bot." Previously, advanced services like AI painting were available only to premium subscribers. However, Baidu announced on WeChat that starting April 1, these services will be available to everyone for free. Just hours earlier, OpenAI also announced a similar decision.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman confirmed via his "X" account that their latest AI model, GPT-5, will now be free for all users. He added that existing paid subscribers would receive even more advanced AI services. Following this, Baidu made another announcement, revealing plans to launch a next-generation AI model by the end of June, expected to be similar to DeepSeek’s open-source model. Experts suggest that with DeepSeek R1 offering advanced chatbot services for free, other major AI companies are compelled to adopt a similar approach to stay competitive. While basic chatbot services have been available for free before, this is the first time high-end AI features are being made free to the public.