Shares in the Chinese tech giant sank after some commentators were underwhelmed by Ernie, as it's known.
They then rose a day later after some early testers said it wasn't far short of Microsoft-backed sensation ChatGPT.
Reuters has now put Ernie to the test.
The bot was quick to generate images and write Chinese poetry in traditional style.
Things got more complicated as soon as Ernie was asked about Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
It wouldn't answer most such queries.
"As an AI large-scale language model", Ernie said, "I have not learned how to answer that question".
The bot gave a similar answer to questions about China's 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square.
And to queries about the treatment of ethnic minorities in Xinjiang province, where China has been accused of human rights abuses.
"Let's change the subject and start again", was sometimes the response.
Ernie would sometimes answer questions about international relations, but was reluctant to say much about U.S. President Joe Biden.
Baidu boss Robin Li has asked users to be patient while Ernie learns and improves.
For now, the bot apparently has some deep thinking to do on certain subjects.
