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Baidu Introduces AI and Agent-Driven Innovations at Annual Mobile Ecosystem Event to Transform Mobile Experience

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Baidu presented its latest advances across a range of its mobile products, including Baidu Search, Baidu Wenku, and the Baidu App, all seamlessly integrated with ERNIE agents.The revamped Baidu Wenku provides over 100 multimodal AI features, which have been used more than 1.5 billion times by over 140 million users.Baidu AgentBuilder has served over 160,000 developers and users and more than 50,000 enterprises, covering over 100 application scenarios.

SUZHOU, China, May 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU and HKEX: 9888), a leading AI company with a strong Internet foundation, unveiled its latest progress across its mobile ecosystem on Thursday, including Baidu Search, the ERNIE Bot App, the Baidu App, Baidu Wenku, among others – all strategically integrated with large language models (LLMs) and ERNIE agents. The announcements, made at the Wanxiang Conference 2024, an annual event for Baidu’s Mobile Ecosystem Group (MEG), mark the company’s latest commitment to lower the entry barrier for individuals and enterprises to fully harness the power of AI.

“Agent means productivity,” said Jackson He, Senior Corporate Vice President of Baidu and General Manager of MEG, in his keynote speech “Making agents accessible to everyone” at the conference. “[With agents], everyone can create and be equipped with superpowers.”

Baidu’s Mobile Ecosystem offers a uniquely advantageous platform to develop and grow agents, enhancing content and services for hundreds of millions of users.

Core services like Baidu Search are already AI-augmented, with 11% of search result pages filled with generated results. For creative needs such as presentation visuals, the Baidu AI Image Assistant can generate and even “edit” images simply by inputting text prompts.On Baidu App, users can now access the Interactive Channel, where they can engage in multi-turn dialogue, as well as tag specialized agents to address various issues.Baidu Wenku, an integrated platform for document archiving, content creation, and content sharing, has now evolved into an AI-assisted “one-stop shop” for content consumption and creation. With a collection of 1.2 billion high-quality document resources, Baidu Wenku provides over 100 multimodal AI features, which have been used more than 1.5 billion times by over 140 million users.Baidu Wenku also introduced Chengpian, a new AI application able to execute complex tasks, including professional knowledge retrieval and Q&A, extended image-text understanding and generation, in-depth article editing and organization, as well as cross-modal freestyle creation.ERNIE Bot App, Baidu’s generative AI app, now plays the role of a 24/7 online personal intelligent assistant, providing one-on-one assistance and meeting diverse needs.

For enterprise partners, agents offer the key to unlocking the vast potential of foundation models to enable intelligent transformation. Agents can help to solve many longstanding business operations needs, such as enhancing supply-demand matching and increasing operational efficiency.

In the e-commerce sector, Baidu Select, launched in May 2023, leverages advanced AI tools such as merchant knowledge graphs and ERNIE, to help merchant customers understand user needs and provide personalized shopping recommendations. The addition of Huiboxing, the industry’s first full-chain digital human livestream platform powered by AI, allows for the creation of 24/7 digital human streamers. This has helped e-tail customers boost sales performance with lower costs. Baidu Select has seen a 227% GMV increase for the Jan-May period year-on-year, with user transactions and active merchants rising by 283% and 242% respectively.

To help developers and individuals create agent effortlessly, Baidu’s AgentBuilder offers zero code and low code modes for agent development and deployment. It provides a full-chain solution from AI development to distribution and monetization. It supports natural language interaction and allows the creation of up to 50 agents on one account. Developers can also integrate customized plugins to realize specific functions, further simplifying the development process.

Today, AgentBuilder has served over 160,000 developers and users and more than 50,000 enterprises, covering over 100 application scenarios. The platform houses a diverse range of agents, from small-scale agents developed by individuals like copywriters, and corporate trainers, to bigger-scale agents developed by enterprises and organizations such as OPPO and the Singapore Tourism Board.

In developing the agent ecosystem, Baidu holds two key advantages, He explained at the event. The first is the company’s technological advantage in AI. Underpinning Baidu’s agents is the powerful ERNIE foundation model, China’s most advanced and widely applied foundation model, with industry-leading performance in understanding, generation, reasoning, and memory capabilities. The second advantage lies in Baidu’s massive user traffic. Baidu App has a monthly active user base of 676 million and is used by 9.7 million creators, making it a vibrant and vast ecosystem supported by the mutual interaction and growth of both creators and users.

“This is an era where everyone has a chance to rise – everyone can participate and create,” He said. Noting that agent offers a strong new impetus for inclusivity in AI, he encouraged every individual to embrace agents to fully unleash their creative potential.

About Baidu                                             

Founded in 2000, Baidu’s mission is to make the complicated world simpler through technology. Baidu is a leading AI company with a strong Internet foundation. Baidu is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “BIDU”, and on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under the stock code “9888”. Currently, one ADS represents eight Class A ordinary shares.

Media Contact

intlcomm@baidu.com

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SOURCE Baidu, Inc.

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Club Offers for Travel Enthusiasts in Canada

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TORONTO, Oct 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Travelzoo® (NASDAQ: TZOO), the club for travel enthusiasts, announces three of many new Club Offers for Club Members in Canada.

Rigorously vetted and negotiated for us travel enthusiasts:

$799—COSTA RICA WEEK WITH FLIGHTS & CAR
We think fall is an ideal time to visit Costa Rica; the scenery is lush and the crowds are gone. Drive between volcanic Arenal and the idyllic beaches of Tamarindo on this seven-night trip. Since it’s not as busy, we were able to negotiate a price that saves members up to $648 on departures through mid-December.

$899—BARCELONA: 5 NIGHTS WITH FLIGHTS
Explore Barcelona’s world-class museums and architectural masterpieces in the quieter winter months to pack more into your trip. You won’t waste hours in lines and can access top restaurants that are fully booked in summer. We save $300 on travel this January and February, when temperatures are still spring-like. Roundtrip flights from Toronto, hotel and daily breakfast are included.

$999—ST. KITTS GETAWAY FOR 2, REG. $2083
Most visitors to St. Kitts book months in advance, but when we pointed out that travel enthusiasts are more spontaneous, this resort gave us a terrific rate for stays this November and December. Spend four nights in Frigate Bay and get an upgraded Oceanview room, too.

Are you a travel enthusiast? Join the club today: https://travelzoo.com

Who are we?
We, Travelzoo®, are the club for travel enthusiasts. We reach 30 million travellers. Club Members receive Club Offers negotiated and rigorously vetted by our deal experts around the globe. Our relationships with thousands of top travel companies give us access to irresistible deals. Our club and its benefits are built around the lifestyle of a modern travel enthusiast.

Media Contact: 
Amanda Ieraci – Toronto
+1 437 866 8540
aieraci@travelzoo.com

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SOURCE Travelzoo

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Howard Hughes Holdings Set to Join S&P SmallCap 600

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NEW YORK, Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Howard Hughes Holdings Inc. (NYSE: HHH) will replace Arcosa Inc. (NYSE: ACA) in the S&P SmallCap 600 effective prior to the opening of trading on Wednesday, October 28. S&P 500 constituent CRH plc (NYSE: CRH) has acquired Arcosa in a deal that closed today, October 23.

Following is a summary of the changes that will take place prior to the open of trading on the effective date:

Effective Date

Index Name  

Action

Company Name

Ticker

GICS Sector

October 28, 2026

S&P SmallCap 600

Addition

Howard Hughes Holdings

HHH

Real Estate

October 28, 2026

S&P SmallCap 600

Deletion

Arcosa

ACA

Industrials

ABOUT S&P DOW JONES INDICES

S&P Dow Jones Indices is the largest global resource for essential index-based concepts, data and research, and home to iconic financial market indicators, such as the S&P 500® and the Dow Jones Industrial Average®. More assets are invested in products based on our indices than products based on indices from any other provider in the world. Since Charles Dow invented the first index in 1884, S&P DJI has been innovating and developing indices across the spectrum of asset classes helping to define the way investors measure and trade the markets.

S&P Dow Jones Indices is a division of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI), which provides essential intelligence for individuals, companies, and governments to make decisions with confidence. For more information, visit www.spglobal.com/spdji/en/. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

S&P Dow Jones Indices
index_services@spglobal.com

Media Inquiries
spdji.comms@spglobal.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/howard-hughes-holdings-set-to-join-sp-smallcap-600-302918511.html

SOURCE S&P Dow Jones Indices

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Chelsea FC announces multi-year sleeve partnership with Sokin, the business payments and FX platform

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Chelsea FC name fast-growing fintech platform as Principal Partner

LONDON, Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Chelsea Football Club has today announced a multi-year partnership with Sokin, the embedded finance and payments company used by businesses worldwide. Sokin will be named a Principal Partner and Official Business Payments and FX Partner of Chelsea FC and Chelsea FC Women.

As a Principal Partner, Sokin will be represented on the sleeves of the Chelsea FC men’s, women’s and academy home, away, and third kits from the 2026/27 season.

The partnership brings together two ambitious London-headquartered organisations with worldwide reach – a club with millions of fans across the world and a fintech platform through which businesses move more than $11 billion a year. A club of Chelsea’s scale works in many currencies every day, with partners, competitions and supporters around the world, and needs a financial partner built to handle that.

Sokin gives finance teams business payments, multi-currency accounts, foreign exchange, checkout and treasury in one place, so they spend less time juggling banks and providers and keep more of what they move.

As Official Business Payments and FX Partner, Sokin will simplify how Chelsea FC sends, receives and manages money in the currencies the club operates in.

The Sokin logo will feature on the sleeve of the Chelsea shirt for the first time [when the men’s team host Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge on Saturday 24th October.]

Jason Gannon, President at Chelsea FC said:

“At Chelsea, we seek to partner with organisations that share our ambition and innovative mindset. Sokin’s expertise in business payments, and their focus on making both simpler for the businesses they serve, makes them a natural fit for the Club. We are pleased to welcome Sokin to the Chelsea family and look forward to working together in the years ahead.”

Vroon Modgill, CEO and founder at Sokin said:

“Chelsea plays on the biggest stage in world football, and its business runs in dozens of currencies. Sokin was built for that with regulated, multi-currency payments and foreign exchange for organisations that operate internationally. We’re proud to be the platform behind the business payments and FX of one of the most iconic teams in football. Sokin’s platform serves businesses in more than 170 countries. We’re thrilled to be partners for the season ahead. An organisation as sophisticated as Chelsea doesn’t leave its finances to chance.”

About Sokin

Sokin is the financial layer global business runs on. Businesses can transact, convert and hold money in 70+ currencies across 170+ countries. Some businesses use Sokin to manage global finance in-house. Others build it into their products to power financial experiences for their customers. Businesses move more than $9 billion a year on licenses Sokin holds in 36+ countries and infrastructure Sokin owns. Founded in 2019, Sokin has raised over $100 million from investors including Morgan Stanley Expansion Capital and Prysm Capital.

About Chelsea Football Club

Chelsea Football Club is one of the biggest, most successful football clubs globally and our men’s team are reigning world champions, having won the four-yearly FIFA Club World Cup in 2025. Our women’s team, Chelsea Women, are also multiple trophy winners.

Founded in 1905, Chelsea is London’s most central football club, based at the iconic 40,000-capacity Stamford Bridge stadium. Nicknamed the Blues, the club lifted the Champions League for the first time in 2012 and domestically has won the Premier League five times, the FA Cup eight times, the Football League Cup five times and the Football League Championship once, in 1955.

The Chelsea Women’s team have enjoyed a huge amount of success and in 2025 won the FA Women’s Super League for a sixth consecutive year and the eighth time overall. The Women’s FA Cup has been won on six occasions. We have also captured the FA Women’s League Cup four times as well as reaching the UEFA Women’s Champions League final in 2021. In two seasons, 2020/21 and 2024/25, a domestic treble of trophies was secured.

The Chelsea Foundation boasts one of the most extensive community initiatives in sport, helping to improve the lives of children and young people all over the world.

Media Contacts:

Taina Biggs
taina.biggs@sokin.com 

Nerissa Chesterfield
nerissa.chesterfield@chelseafc.com 

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