On May 13-14, 2026, Baidu held its annual Create developer conference in Beijing. The theme was "AI Self-Evolution." But for international advertisers, the real headline is this: Baidu is no longer just a search engine that sells ads. It is becoming an AI agent platform — and the way businesses interact with Chinese consumers is changing fast.
We attended the keynotes and product demos. Here is what matters for overseas brands.
🤖 The Big Picture: From Chatbots to Agents
Baidu's CEO Robin Li introduced a new concept at the conference: DAA — Daily Active Agents. Just as DAU (Daily Active Users) measured the mobile internet era, DAA measures how many AI agents are actively working and delivering results for users.
The shift is significant. Baidu is moving from "users search, we show ads" to "agents act, we deliver outcomes." For advertisers, this means the entry point for reaching Chinese consumers is expanding beyond the search box.
📱 DuMate: Baidu's Universal Agent
The biggest product launch was DuMate (百度搭子), Baidu's new universal AI agent. Think of it as a single interface that combines search, coding, research, data analysis, and app creation — all powered by Baidu's ERNIE models.
DuMate is available on both desktop and mobile, with real-time sync between devices. In benchmark tests, it achieved state-of-the-art results across multiple international evaluations.
🎬 Three More Agent Products
Baidu launched three additional agent products at the conference:
| Product | Type | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| MiaoDa (秒哒) | Code Agent | Builds apps from natural language. Now has a mobile app and enterprise edition. 90% of its own code was generated by itself. |
| Baidu YiJing (百度一镜) | Digital Human Agent | Upgraded from livestream-only to full-spectrum: livestream, video, real-time interaction. Can generate hours of interactive digital human content. |
| FaMou (伐谋 2.0) | Decision Agent | Self-evolving decision-making for industrial scenarios: production scheduling, process optimization, logistics planning. |
🧠 What This Means for International Advertisers
The Create 2026 announcements point to three shifts that overseas brands need to understand:
1. The Buyer Journey Is Changing
Chinese B2B and B2C buyers are increasingly using AI agents to research products, compare options, and even request quotes — all before interacting with a brand's advertising. This means your Baidu presence needs to be agent-friendly: structured data, clear product information, and landing pages that agents can parse.
2. Digital Humans Are Production-Ready
Baidu YiJing's upgrade means digital human content is no longer limited to short livestream clips. Brands can now create hours of interactive video content with AI-generated hosts. For overseas companies that cannot send a Chinese-speaking spokesperson to China, this is a cost-effective alternative.
3. Baidu's Cloud Is Now Agent Infrastructure
Baidu Cloud has been repositioned as "the new full-stack AI cloud for large-scale agent applications." This means the platform is optimizing for agent workloads — which will affect how ads are served, how leads are captured, and how campaigns are optimized.
🚧 The Barrier for Overseas Companies
Every product announced at Create 2026 is built on Baidu's Chinese ecosystem. To use DuMate for business research, to deploy YiJing digital humans for your brand, or to run agent-optimized campaigns — you need a Baidu advertising account. And a Baidu advertising account requires:
- A mainland Chinese business license
- A Chinese bank account for billing
- A Chinese phone number for verification
- Local compliance and content review
Most international companies do not have these. This is the structural barrier between your brand and the most advanced AI marketing tools in China.
📋 How BPP Bridges the Gap
At Baidu PPC Pro, we handle the infrastructure so you can focus on the strategy:
- Account setup — We provide the Chinese entity, bank account, and compliance framework
- Agent-ready campaigns — We structure your campaigns to work with Baidu's AI optimization
- Digital human content — We coordinate YiJing deployments for your brand
- Market research — We use DuMate and Baidu's research tools to build your China market intelligence
- Full reporting — Monthly performance reports in English or your preferred language
🎯 Key Takeaways
- Baidu is shifting from search engine to AI agent platform
- DAA (Daily Active Agents) is the new metric replacing DAU
- DuMate, MiaoDa, YiJing, and FaMou are live and integrated into the ad ecosystem
- Digital human content is now production-ready for brand marketing
- Chinese business credentials are still required to access these tools
- BPP provides the infrastructure bridge for international advertisers
Ready to Explore Baidu's Agent Ecosystem?
Talk to the BPP team. We will walk you through the realistic options for your industry, your budget, and your goals — no pressure, no fluff.
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