Internet search major Baidu is planning to launch an artificial intelligence chatbot service similar to OpenAI's ChatGPT in March, Reuters news agency has reported.

The technology firm plans to launch the service as a standalone application and gradually merge it into its search engine, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters.

ChatGPT's technology works by learning from vast amounts of data how to answer prompts by users in a human-like manner, offering information like a search engine or even prose like an aspiring novelist.

Chatbots on the mainland currently focus on social interaction whereas ChatGPT performs better at more professional tasks, such as programming and essay writing.

Baidu plans to incorporate chatbot-generated results when users make search requests, instead of only links, the person said. Baidu has declined to comment.

Microsoft has a US$1 billion investment in San Francisco-based OpenAI that it has looked at increasing. The company has also worked to add OpenAI's image-generation software to its Bing search engine in a new challenge to Google.

Beijing-based Baidu has been investing heavily in AI technology, including in cloud services, chips and autonomous driving, as it looks to diversify its revenue sources.

At a developer conference last month, Baidu unveiled three AI-powered "creators" whose technology allows them to assume the roles of screenwriter, illustrator, editor or animator. (Reuters)