Baidu launched China’s first metaverse app ‘Xi Rang’. Chinese internet giant Baidu Monday officially took the wraps off its metaverse app, which was used to hold the company’s annual developer conference as more Chinese tech firms join the global race for supremacy in the next big thing in technology.
The Monday event is seen as the culmination of recent moves by major local internet firms that hope to establish a foothold in the hugely popular arena.
A rivalry for a metaverse head start will be a battle that no one could afford to lose, be it an internet firm exploring new engines of growth or an economy eyeing future-oriented virtual strength.
Baidu, known for its expertise in artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous driving, unveiled Xi Rang, which means “land of hope” at its annual AI developer conference.
Users can create avatars and engage with other players in Xi Rang, which can be accessed via smartphones, PCs, or virtual reality goggles.
Baidu says it wants to turn Xi Rang into a metaverse infrastructure platform that includes gaming, entertainment, education, advertising, conferences, and exhibitions, among other things.
The increasing use of Cryptocurrency and the NFT, combined with advancements in Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality technologies, marks the beginning of a journey into the metaverse.
Facebook changed its name to Meta earlier this year, sparking a reflection of the social media firm in the Metaverse ecosystem.
Mack Zuckerberg has since teased the world with the idea that Metaverse is the next big thing in technology, a notion that has sparked a significant debate among Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, and Twitter Founder Jack Dorsey, who disagree.
As China teeters on the edge of metaverse technology, the Chinese tech giant, Baidu, is leading the charge, having played a key role in autonomous driving, smart cars, and smart roads, as well as deeply integrating AI, 5G, and cloud computing into the transportation industry.
