The Chinese version of Google, the world’s second-largest search engine Baidu, keeps tending to web3, despite the strict ban from Beijing. This is due to Baidu’s founder Robin Li’s metaverse-focused intentions of making the company Tianxia’s web3 leader.

Currently, Robin Li has launched the company’s flagship Baidu World 22 Conference, where the Baidu AI Cloud is rolling out a live streaming platform powered by virtual hosts. This breakthrough decision will allow the 24-hour AI-driven live streaming and high-resolution web3 avatars. Baidu is also releasing a series of AI-generated virtual beings enabling humans to have “virtual counterparts.”

In addition to being the second-largest search engine giving way only to Google, Baidu is also the third-largest social network with over 1 billion subscribers, the world’s largest video-sharing website with cloud computing, mobile apps, and web hosting available for its users.

The company’s announcement on the creation of virtual beings comes following the provision of other AI-powered technological products, including voice assistant Xiaoice, like Apple’s Siri or Google’s AI voice assistant.

After the Chinese government decided to ban crypto, web3, and metaverse initiatives for all companies and individuals in its jurisdiction, web3 news from China has been poor. However, even the authorized restrictions didn’t hinder Baidu’s metaverse expansion, making it China’s indisputable metaverse pioneer.