(Photo: Courtesy of Baidu)

Baidu Inc launched an innovative virtual assistant app Duxiaoxiao Tuesday as part of its strategy to offer personalized services via its mobile platforms.

An innovative search product based on DuerOS, the virtual assistant app Duxiaoxiao not only provides users with a range of information and services. They can directly converse with the app to help solve everyday questions. Over time, the app will change to suit each user's needs based on users' habits.

The app is one of the smart products and artificial intelligence (AI) upgrades shown at the annual Baidu World 2020, demonstrating how its cutting-edge AI technologies are transforming industries and improving people's everyday lives.

The company also announced that AI open platform Baidu Brain has been upgraded to version 6.0 and will continue serving as a pillar of the "new infrastructure" that supports the intelligent transformation of industry.

"The next 10 years will be the era of the intelligent economy, as AI brings transformative changes to every industry," said Robin Li, CEO of Baidu, in his speech at the annual technology conference.

At the conference, Baidu is showing its technology for the intelligent economy, with its suite of AI technologies already being applied across industries and life scenarios.

Baidu Apollo, the autonomous driving open platform, demonstrated fully automated driving in a livestream and unveiled its cutting-edge 5G Remote Driving Service.

Apollo signed several strategic cooperation agreements with the cities of Chongqing, Hefei and Yangquan over the past half year. During the 2022 Winter Olympics, 100 Baidu Apollo self-driving taxis will serve the Shougang Park.

It has also launched DuerOS 6.0, the latest version of its conversational AI system, as well as XiaoduPods, true wireless smart ear-buds that represent its first portable consumer electronics product.