Baidu (NASDAQ: BIDU) is facing significant internal unrest over plans to rename its internal AI assistant, "dodo," to "Dazi" (meaning "buddy" in Chinese). The controversy stems from the fact that Baidu already has a publicly launched product named "Baidu Dazi," and using the same name for both internal and external tools would create confusion, leading to a wave of opposition from employees.
According to leaked information, a large number of staff members have universally voted against the change, with many leaving comments expressing "strong opposition." Some employees have bluntly stated, "I don't understand, I don't support, and I don't recognize this." Others have criticized the "Dazi" icon as being unattractive, arguing that "dodo" is far more vivid and fitting as a name and image. A majority of employees feel that dodo "has no need to follow the trend of Dazi" and that "Dazi" struggles to establish a professional image in serious workplace scenarios, calling it "lackluster."
Sources indicate that Baidu has recently initiated a restructuring of its office Agent business. The research and development personnel and resources behind dodo will be integrated into the "Baidu Dazi" platform, aiming to unify the company's internal and external AI assistant products. This shift moves the office Agent business from a multi-track approach to a centralized operation. Dodo was originally an internal AI assistant used by Baidu employees to manage tasks like organizing meetings, processing documents, and querying emails through communication tools. Meanwhile, "Baidu Dazi" was launched in March as a professional AI assistant platform for both personal and enterprise office scenarios.
The question remains whether this integration of dodo and "Dazi" will yield a "1+1 greater than 2" effect or result in a messy situation, ultimately reinforcing the external perception of Baidu's new products as "waking up early but arriving late to the market." Only time will tell.
This internal turmoil comes amid a flurry of activity in the office Agent sector. Alibaba has officially launched its Quanwen Office product, integrating its three scattered AI assistants into a unified platform tightly tied to the DingTalk ecosystem. Meanwhile, Tencent has significantly elevated the strategic importance of its WorkBuddy product, allocating group-level resources to boost its market presence. These moves by tech giants signal that the AI office competition has evolved from basic AI feature iterations to a comprehensive contest of organization, product, and ecosystem strength.
The controversy over dodo's renaming and integration highlights the growing pains of Baidu's smart office business restructuring. While no clear winner has yet emerged in the AI office space, the intense competition among major players leaves little time for internal disputes at Baidu.
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