Baidu has shut down its healthcare division in order to focus more heavily in developing its AI software. It was announced by the company that it would be merging its two year old medical unit into its AI business, as part of a restructuring process. Baidu said that the move was part of upgrading its healthcare plan from “providing low-end services to high-end AI-powered healthcare research and innovation”. The unit recently released a medical assistance bot which could provide information to doctors regarding treatment and medication options for patients. However, Kirk Boodry, an analyst with New Street Research, said of the now-defunct healthcare business that it was reportedly “underperforming relative to the company overall”, which could have led to its closure.
