The systems will be based on Baidu’s DuerOS conversational artificial intelligence platform, which will enables vehicle owners to command and communicate with their vehicles via voice recognition, natural language understanding and image recognition, Ford said.

Ford and Baidu plan to create a joint lab for vehicle connectivity. They also plan to explore opportunities in cloud computing, including integration with an open cloud-based platform in development by Autonomic, a subsidiary of Ford Smart Mobility.

The platform, called Transportation Mobility Cloud, offers transportation services such as vehicle connectivity for multiple players in the transportation ecosystem, according to Ford.

In addition, Ford will work with Baidu to apply big data and other technologies in digital marketing for its products launched in China.

By signing the letter of intent, Ford is set to broaden its collaboration with Baidu, China’s largest search engine.

Last July, Ford was among a group of global automakers to join Baidu in the Chinese company’s effort to develop an open-source autonomous driving platform called Apollo.

Apollo is a software package that lets automakers use its entire suite or specific features for autonomous vehicles. Automakers also can integrate their technology with it.