The annual World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) concluded in Shanghai with unprecedented popularity, particularly after the unveiling of Deepseek, leading to a high demand for tickets.

Although I wasn't physically present, the media buzz about new product launches and applications over the past few days was overwhelming. Today, I stumbled upon an intriguing video. Amidst the summer vacation crowd, numerous elementary school students were at WAIC, eagerly surrounding an exhibit booth, pointing, operating, and having a blast. Upon clicking, I discovered it was Baidu Netdisk's booth.

Frankly, I was a bit taken aback. In many people's minds, Baidu Netdisk is a tool-oriented product, not typically associated with children. However, my research revealed that it was due to Baidu Netdisk's recently launched "AI Camera" features, supporting artwork scanning and photo recognition. These features are simple, user-friendly, and quick to learn, making them accessible to kids as well as adults. Coincidentally, my nephew is taking AI enlightenment courses, and my family frequently discusses the integration of AI and education. This has drawn my attention to this application scenario: sophisticated cutting-edge technology is no longer exclusive to adults but is swiftly entering children's lives, becoming a novel way for them to interact with the world. Baidu Netdisk's new features are a prime example.

(Image source: Screenshot from a short video platform)

When mentioning Baidu Netdisk, a nationally renowned product, many still associate it with file storage, backup, and synchronization across multiple devices. However, Baidu Netdisk's positioning has evolved: it's no longer a mere "file warehouse" but an AI productivity tool tailored for daily high-frequency scenarios, addressing users' core pain points.

At WAIC, Baidu Netdisk transformed into the "King of Elementary School Students." Being in Guangzhou, I quickly opened my phone to explore its true capabilities.

Upon opening Baidu Netdisk, the familiar camera button next to the search box was still there (familiar to those who often use it for scanning and backing up materials). But upon clicking, I noticed significant changes in its functions: the original single scanning function had been upgraded to an "AI Camera," with multiple functional scenarios listed on the right, including beauty enhancement, image recognition, problem-solving by taking photos, homework correction, contract checking, etc. After trying them all, I was left with one impression – it's incredibly practical!

Here are a few notable upgrades I discovered:

1. Instant Capture and Storage, Fast and Space-Saving

Previously, taking photos and backing them up required three steps: using the phone's native camera, opening Baidu Netdisk to select photos, and waiting for the upload to complete. Now, with Baidu Netdisk's AI Camera, photos are automatically archived to the cloud with just one click. This not only reduces the steps from three to one but also frees up substantial phone memory space, which is a relief for those like me who struggle with decision-making and no longer have to worry about what to delete or transfer when memory is low.

Personally, I find this feature quite appealing, especially considering the cost of upgrading phone memory from 512GB to 1TB compared to the high cost-effectiveness of Baidu Netdisk's annual subscription.

2. All-in-One Image Processing

I've tried numerous "AI Cameras" before, such as AI portrait generation by "Certain Duck," AI beauty enhancement by "Certain App," and AI Cosplay effects by "Certain Paint." Their AI functions are limited to single scenarios, often necessitating the installation of multiple camera apps. However, Baidu Netdisk's AI Camera is comprehensive, offering all the AI functions one might need after taking a photo, including photo editing, beauty enhancement, AI photo generation, image recognition, text extraction, conversion to Word, scanning and processing, problem-solving by taking photos, etc., covering all aspects of life, entertainment, work, and study. No more switching between apps or pondering which to download.

3. Intelligent Recognition Support for Photos

Comprehensive functionality is not enough; usability is crucial. I found the AI Camera's "Intelligent Recommendation of AI Functions" highly practical, eliminating the need to navigate complex menus. For instance, when I casually took a photo of a Guangzhou street scene, the AI Camera instantly recommended relevant functions, including photo editing, AI creativity, and writing inspired by the photo. Upon recognizing the neighborhood, it even suggested nearby snacks.

If I took a photo of a product, the AI Camera would automatically recognize it, providing similar product identifications and price information like e-commerce apps. It also intelligently associates related questions, which I find practical because often, taking a product photo isn't about wanting to "buy" it but to "use" it. For someone like me, skincare knowledge is genuinely welcome.

While many image-based apps with AI functions are available, most are still in the stage of capability stacking and effect optimization. Baidu Netdisk, however, returns to the essence of "taking photos," considering why we take them and what to do afterward. This product logic truly embodies their slogan of "True AI Camera."

While reviewing Baidu Netdisk's AI Camera, my nephew came over with a math problem, and I, having long forgotten my math knowledge, panicked. Suddenly, I remembered the AI Camera's "Photo to Solution" feature. Just by taking a photo of the homework, it immediately provided the answer along with a clear solution process, truly saving me in a pinch.

I also used the AI Camera to create a collection of his wrong questions, allowing AI to generate additional practice questions based on the knowledge points he often makes mistakes on, helping him learn more targetedly. I didn't expect that in the educational scenario, Baidu also supports users' "personalized needs"!

My nephew came to Guangzhou for summer vacation, and before leaving him in my care, his mother specifically instructed, "Play all you want during the holiday, but don't slack off on your studies." This "real-life test" just now made me even more interested in this product. After further exploring its other functions, I discovered that Baidu had already ventured into the education field with AI functions long ago.

Not just the AI Camera, Baidu Netdisk's team began developing AI functions for learning scenarios as early as the end of last year and released the AI Notebook function at Baidu's Create Conference in April this year, garnering recommendations from many prestigious university students on Xiaohongshu and being hailed as a "lifesaver for college students preparing for exams." This feature currently seems unique in the industry, even surpassing many products specializing in learning assistance.

Additionally, Baidu Netdisk's "Simple Listening and Note-taking" feature is very user-friendly for working adults, capable of real-time meeting recording in various languages and generating AI summaries. This year, it also introduced a Meeting Assistant feature that can attend online meetings on your behalf, take notes, and generate to-dos, truly living up to the title of "True AI Assistant"!

Baidu Netdisk's album management has also integrated natural language search capabilities, allowing users to search for keywords like locations, names, dates, and scene descriptions. The AI can accurately locate and find the desired photo among thousands.

Theoretically, a netdisk is just a storage tool in everyone's perception, so how did it manage to integrate so many AI capabilities in just half a year?

I chatted with friends in the internet technology circle and learned that in September last year, Wenku (Baidu Docs) and Netdisk began integrating, further focusing on refining the AI capabilities of these two national-level products. Wenku's AI transformation over the past two years has been widely recognized as a success, transforming from a document and data platform to a one-stop AI content creation platform.

Smart PPT captured 80% of the domestic vertical market share in 2024, and this year, its monthly user visits surpassed Gamma, ranking first globally. There are also various cross-modal creation capabilities such as Smart Posters, AI Animated Picture Books, and Hand-copied Newspapers, with a solid foundation for AI creation. Moreover, with the addition of the netdisk after obtaining personal user authorization, it not only bridges the gap between public and private domain materials but also pioneered the launch of the world's first content operating system – Cangzhou OS – at this year's Baidu Create Conference, enabling the integration of all model capabilities and supporting third-party invocations. With such powerful assistance, it's no wonder Wenku has transformed into an AI player.

Achieving such good integration between the netdisk and Wenku, allowing them to work towards a common goal, is quite challenging. Friends familiar with the netdisk and Wenku teams told me that the biggest characteristic of this team is pragmatism, focusing on user needs and striving to avoid the common "technology-centric thinking" in the AI industry, instead concentrating on product practicality and value to users.

I remember seeing a report some time ago about a Baidu public welfare activity where they donated and set up AI classrooms in a rural middle school in Shaanxi Province. One of the volunteers was a product PM from Baidu Netdisk. After teaching local teachers how to use AI functions like scanning and organizing wrong questions and scanning artwork, she even left her contact information to collect feedback and suggestions for subsequent auxiliary teaching functions. She herself said in an interview, "Every opportunity to intimately interact with real users is very precious and an opportunity for us to make our products better and more useful. Seeing the real help our products bring to teachers or students in relatively remote areas, I feel genuinely happy from the bottom of my heart." It's evident that this team truly values user feedback and meticulously refines its products.

A friend from Baidu also told me that since September last year, the user base of Baidu Netdisk and Wenku AI has continued to expand rapidly, requiring the team to maintain a lean, flat, and agile working style. Each team member pursues "specialization and versatility," with AI product team members also having strategic abilities and an understanding of models. The entire team is in a state of continuous learning and keenly capturing industry evolution. I believe this is one of the secrets behind this team's ability to frequently produce practical, user-friendly, and competitive AI products.

In 2025, the "Hundred Models War" has ended, and AI applications have become a must-win battleground for players. Major companies are frantically launching AI applications, with some using aggressive buy-in strategies to achieve temporary user growth; others pursue "fancy innovations," rushing to make PPT-style announcements for so-called "first launches." After the hype dies down, products without practicality are bound to be squeezed out. Many AI unicorn companies have also experienced failures in their C-end products, with some teams completely abandoning the C-end to focus on B-end or even niche scenarios like healthcare.

However, Baidu Netdisk and the Wenku team, whether considering product positioning, function implementation, or operation strategies, have always put user needs first. In the current AI circle where traffic is paramount and headlining is the only metric, this is actually quite rare. I also look forward to this team bringing us new and surprising features in the future.