A Baidu Ernie 4.5 Review: My First Impressions

This morning, I finally had the chance to sit down and thoroughly test Baidu Ernie 4.5 and its reasoning model, Ernie X1. ERNIE 4.5 is available via APIs on Baidu AI Cloud's Qianfan platform, with ERNIE X1 to follow soon. 

To be honest, I'm still reflecting on the experience – it was genuinely eye-opening. As someone deeply immersed in media and technology, I've experimented with countless AI tools, but Ernie 4.5 managed to surprise me in ways I didn't quite expect.

Multimodal Capabilities: Surprisingly Human-Like

Right from the start, the multimodal capabilities stood out. I fed it a diverse mix of videos, images, and text prompts, and Ernie handled them effortlessly. The way it seamlessly connected different media types felt intuitive, almost human-like. I noticed clear improvements in complex reasoning tasks and coding – clean logic, fewer hallucinations, and a noticeably smoother workflow overall.

Key Strengths Observed During My Initial Testing:

• Multimodal Integration: Smoothly combines video, image, and text inputs without noticeable friction.
• Reasoning and Logic: Demonstrates clearer, more structured reasoning compared to previous models.
• Coding Efficiency: Generates cleaner, more accurate code snippets with fewer errors.
• Reduced Hallucinations: Significantly fewer instances of incorrect or misleading outputs compared to earlier AI models.
• User Experience: Intuitive interaction, making it accessible even for less technical users.

Pricing: A Potential Game-Changer

But let's address something that truly caught my attention: the pricing. At just $0.55 per million input tokens, Ernie 4.5 is astonishingly cheap compared to GPT-4.5's $75 per million input tokens. For smaller agencies, startups, and independent creators who want to integrate , this pricing could genuinely democratize access to powerful AI tools – something I've always passionately advocated for.

Awaiting Real-World Validation

Yet, despite my enthusiasm, I'm approaching Baidu's bold claims with healthy skepticism. Matching GPT-4.5's performance is no small feat, and while my initial tests were promising, I still want to see independent benchmarks. Plus, there's often a noticeable gap between internal benchmarks and everyday performance. I'm curious how Ernie 4.5 will hold up under sustained, heavy workloads, such as content production, for example.

Integrating Ernie 4.5 with Latenode (Coming Soon!)

Once Ernie 4.5 becomes publicly available, you'll be able to effortlessly integrate it into your workflows using Latenode's simple HTTP request feature. Latenode allows you to connect virtually any API, empowering your business with cutting-edge AI capabilities.

Meanwhile, here are 4 easy-to-implement AI automation use cases you can set up right now in Latenode:

Final Thoughts: Excited but Grounded

Overall, my first encounter with Ernie 4.5 left me genuinely excited. It's powerful, affordable, and potentially transformative. But as always, I'm keeping my eyes open and my expectations balanced. The Chinese AI landscape evolves rapidly, and Ernie 4.5 is definitely a tool I'll be watching closely.