(Yicai Global) Dec. 21 -- China's largest search provider Baidu Inc. [NASDAQ:BIDU] and biggest smartphone maker Huawei Technologies Co. are teaming up to develop internet services, content and artificial intelligence for smartphones.

The two firms will use Baidu's PaddlePaddle deep learning framework and Huawei's Neural Network Processing Unit and HiAI platform to develop an ecosystem based around the phone maker's open AI platform and Baidu Brain, the search giant's AI suite, the pair announced in Beijing yesterday.

The duo will also cooperate in voice and image recognition for smart devices as they look to develop seamless human-machine interactivity, and will look to bolster their augmented reality offerings.

The smartphone industry is about to reach a turning point after a decade of rapid development, recent information from Baidu shows. It pegs voice interactivity, machine vision, virtual and augmented reality as key drivers in the telecommunications sector, and believes phones will evolve into personal assistants rather than being passive tools.

Baidu is the world's largest Chinese language search engine and is working hard to promote artificial intelligence across a range of industries. Its latest partner ranks third in smartphone sales worldwide and this year unveiled its Mate 10 series, which boasts AI processors.