A storm of public opinion triggered by Baidu executives has once again pushed the tech giant to the forefront of public opinion. The trigger for the incident was an exaggerated statement made by Baidu's vice president Xuan Jing on social platforms, openly claiming that the current artificial intelligence technology has "done things that the human brain cannot reach".
This remark is undoubtedly touting the development prospects of artificial intelligence, aiming to establish Baidu's technological leadership in the field of AI. However, this headline party-style propaganda strategy not only backfired, but was unanimously questioned and criticized by netizens and experts, and even caused Baidu to face a public relations crisis, and its market value was once "circuit breaker", evaporating more than 6 billion yuan.
In the end, Baidu had to come forward to "machine translate" Xuan Jing's remarks: Baidu explained that Xuan Jing wanted to express that artificial intelligence has surpassed humans in some segments, but the inappropriate use of words caused misunderstandings. Subsequently, an insider revealed that Xuan Jing had been "dismissed" and left Baidu.
Is this a public relations crisis caused by unscrupulous words, or is it a disciplinary action against its members for their inappropriate words and deeds? The reason and reason for this also caused an uproar in the outside world. Coincidentally, just a few days later, the CEO of another tech giant, OpenAI, also got into trouble for his substandard arguments, triggering a chain reaction of public opinion.
Words into action directly determine the fate of the company
In the business world, the words of entrepreneurs are often the foreshadowing of actions, and how to express their claims can lead to a major PR crisis if there is something inappropriate.
For example, Xuan Jing, who is now rumored to be leaving, is a typical example. According to media reports, during a live event, she was ashamed to say: "Now AI can start to do things that humans can't do."
This argument is undoubtedly to "increase the prestige" of Baidu's artificial intelligence technology, trying to make the public realize the unlimited potential of AI, so as to add more investment imagination to Baidu, the leader of AI technology.
But it is clear that Xuan Jing's statement is too arbitrary and unconvincing, so it has been unanimously questioned and refuted by experts and netizens. A number of AI experts have pointed out that although the current AI technology has surpassed the human level in certain fields, it is too early to claim that "everything can be done".
Some experts believe that when Xuan Jing promoted Baidu's technology, she failed to objectively recognize the current situation and limitations of AI development, and laughed generously. Some people also joked, "If artificial intelligence is really omnipotent, then the human beings who created artificial intelligence have already been replaced"?
All kinds of doubts and sarcasm have undoubtedly brought heavy pressure on Baidu's public opinion. The tech company then had to "flip the machine" in an attempt to ease the discontent and controversy. But it was too late, Baidu's stock price had already been hit hard that day, and its market value had shrunk by more than 6 billion yuan.
In fact, this also shows from the side that in the capital market, the speech of any enterprise may be infinitely amplified and interpreted. The slightest misuse of rhetoric can affect investors' confidence in the company's prospects, which is directly reflected in the rise and fall of the stock price and the increase or decrease in market capitalization.
As a mature listed company, Baidu should obviously take this as a warning, cherish the corporate image that has been built up with great difficulty, and avoid using exaggerated words in publicity and marketing. Otherwise, if you are not careful, you may fall into a crisis, which will affect the continuous operation and development.
一码之差惹了口舌,OpenAI CEO也惹祸
It is worth mentioning that just a few days after the Baidu public opinion turmoil, the CEO of OpenAI, another big company in the field of artificial intelligence, also caused widespread criticism and controversy because of his gaffes.
In an interview with the media, OpenAI CEO Sunder Pichai reportedly speculated groundlessly that "AI could reach human level within two and a half months."
Coincidentally, this remark once again aroused doubts and sarcasm from people from all walks of life, including AI experts. Some experts bluntly said that this judgment is completely "nonsense", which denies the technical threshold and complexity of artificial intelligence, and also denies the infinite possibilities of human intelligence.
"If it can be done in two months, then why should we continue to work on artificial intelligence?" Many people questioned this, thinking that Sandel's statement was nothing more than a marketing ploy.
Some netizens pointed the finger at OpenAI, which has been questioned for "excessive marketing" in the past, trying to exaggerate and exaggerate ChatGPT's capabilities. "Now it seems that their bosses like to use a similar hype."
In the face of such condemnation, OpenAI did respond. They said Mr. Sandel's remarks were misinterpreted, and that what he was trying to convey was that in the next two months, artificial intelligence could surpass humans in certain skills. But in any case, such a "machine flip" has obviously failed to reverse the wave of doubts in the field of public opinion.
The words of corporate executives are the "brand endorsement" of the company
From these two public opinion turmoil, it can be seen that as an executive and spokesperson of the company, his words are undoubtedly the "spokesperson" of the corporate brand and the company's image in the society. Once the rhetoric is inappropriate and goes crazy, it will not only damage the public image of the company, but also directly affect the company's revenue and stock price, and bring huge obstacles to business development.
Therefore, business leaders and spokespersons must not make any exaggerated, untrue or unsubstantiated statements in public. We must not only objectively recognize the current stage of development, but also be cautious in our words and deeds to avoid being misinterpreted and causing unnecessary controversy.
At the same time, companies should also pay attention to the training of relevant spokespersons, strengthen their crisis public relations awareness, and educate them to accurately grasp the proportions and choose the appropriate communication strategies and rhetorical methods. Only in this way can enterprises achieve twice the result with half the effort and win the public's understanding and recognition when marketing and promoting their own brands.
On the other hand, for some "rhapsophobic" spokesmen who are invincible and have no one in their eyes, enterprises must also have decisive means to deal with them, and must not let them go. Just as Baidu did with Xuan Jing in this turmoil, once it is found that the words and deeds of its executives are substandard and affect the corporate image, it should be dealt with seriously to avoid further expansion of the bane.
This is not only a disciplinary constraint on personal misconduct, but also reflects the great importance that the company attaches to its own brand image. From this level, Baidu's "head drink" is also understandable. After all, in the tide of business competition, brand reputation is the foundation of a business, and once destroyed, all efforts can be wasted.
Some people may question whether a single unintentional statement is worthy of such severe punishment. In this regard, we need to realize that in the new media era, as long as any small speech is amplified, it may spread rapidly and cause a crisis of public opinion. Therefore, enterprises must pay attention to every detail, prevent small problems from becoming big disasters.
This turmoil may also be a profound warning to corporate executives who are accustomed to "wild words": in the new media environment, your words and deeds will be focused and amplified, how can you not think twice before speaking? Talking rashly without careful consideration will inevitably lead to an irreparable public relations crisis.
Reasonable and transparent handling is the king way to resolve the crisis
So, in the face of the public relations crisis caused by speech, how should companies properly respond and deal with it? Judging from the lessons of these two public opinion incidents, a transparent and rational approach is the best policy.
When Ms. Xuan's exaggerated remarks were questioned, Baidu should have responded as soon as possible, explaining and explaining the intent of her remarks, rather than letting the situation escalate. Similarly, OpenAI's statement that the CEO's "artificial intelligence surpasses humans in two months" should also be explained to the public in a timely manner, rather than letting public opinion be wrong again and again.
In fact, a timely and transparent response not only helps companies to control the development of the situation in the first place, dominate the trend of public opinion, but also win the public's understanding and tolerance. After all, in the era of new media, rumors are difficult to contain, but as long as explanations and explanations are made in a timely manner, the negative impact of public opinion on enterprises can be minimized.
At the same time, enterprises should also pay attention to rational handling in the face of such crises. For example, Baidu's handling of Xuan Jing, although harsh, is also objective and fair. On the one hand, she was dismissed from her position in the company, and on the other hand, she was not completely "swept away", which reflects a sense of proportion in the disposal.
By contrast, if Baidu acts hastily and blindly rebukes Xuanjing, not only will it not solve the underlying problem, but it may instead fuel a backlash of public opinion and further damage the company's brand image. Therefore, a rational approach is a wise choice, neither too hot nor soft, to achieve a smooth resolution of the crisis to the greatest extent.
In addition, in the process of disposal, it is also very important to unify the internal and external voice. This time, Baidu has achieved evidence-based and consistent handling of public explanations and internal personnel handling, avoiding the embarrassing situation of being aggravated by verbal fights. This approach is worth learning from other companies in times of crisis.
Brand precipitation is an eternal topic for enterprises
Looking back on these two public opinion turmoil, we may reflect on whether brand marketing is too eager for quick success, or is it caused by the lag in the concept awareness of senior executives? Whatever the reason, the severity of the situation reveals a brutal truth: branding and maintenance is an eternal process that requires a lot of effort from the company.