Julie Chang

More specific terms weren't disclosed.

ServiceNow, which provides software for IT, customer service, and other business operations, will gain leading AI capabilities without building them itself.

For example, ServiceNow will use OpenAI's speech-focused model to develop AI voice agents for customer service.

The deal comes as ServiceNow's revenue grew 22% in the third quarter amid rising AI demand.

Baidu's AI Assistant has surpassed 200 million monthly active users, according to people familiar with the matter.

The company's AI-powered Ernie Assistant is integrated into its flagship Baidu search engine app and on personal computers.

Ernie is linked to widely used apps such as JD.com, Meituan, and Trip.com, which allows the agent to help book flight tickets, order food delivery, and more.

Baidu was the first major Chinese tech company to launch a GPT-like chatbot dubbed ErnieBot in 2023, but has since faced stiff competition in China in the AI field.

The U.S.-China trade war has led to Chinese export controls on rare earths, which are used in missile defense systems, data centers, electric vehicles, and more.

According to data provider PitchBook, last year, venture capitalists invested $630 million in U.S.

critical mineral startups, the highest level recorded.

And that's your TMB Tech Minute.

We'll be back this afternoon with more.

Here's your afternoon TNB Tech Minute for Friday, January 16th.

I'm Julie Chang for The Wall Street Journal.

OpenAI plans to start testing ads in ChatGPT for the first time.

The move marks a major shift in the startup's business strategy as it looks for new revenue streams.

The company will begin showing ads in the free version of the chatbot, as well as its cheapest subscription tier.

CEO Sam Altman previously expressed concerns about ads eroding user trust,

and had said he sees them as a last resort for the company's business model.