Baidu has taken its AI efforts to the next level as it announced the hiring of former Microsoft executive Qi Lu as its new COO and group president. Lu had stepped down from Microsoft four months ago, citing health reasons.

Lu will have overall responsibility for managing the Chinese search giant. His appointment has been effective immediately as noticed by an email released on Tuesday. Lu will have all the business heads reporting to him.

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Baidu is looking to focus on Artificial Intelligence and Augmented Reality for giving an edge to its core business. it recently announced opening a new AR Lab in China. The lab will collaborate with several other prominent companies to develop new technologies.

Robin Li, Baidu's Chairman and Group CEO, said, "Dr. Lu possesses a wealth of leadership and management experience, and is a leading authority in the area of artificial intelligence." Lu holds over 40 US patents. The company is reported to be working on a developing a smart device, on the lines of smart assistants offered by the likes of Amazon.

Baidu is currently going through a difficult phase as it is struggling to hold up its revenue streams. The government curb on medical advertising hit the search giant in a big way. The company is scheduled to announce its earnings in February.

Baidu is looking to developed AI as its next big thing. It is also believed that the company is working on developing autonomous vehicles as well. With Lu on board, Baidu may integrate AI with its current products to further augment its search capabilities.

TagsQi Lu, Microsoft, Robin Li, Baidu