China’s ChatGPT rival refused to answer sensitive questions about President Xi Jinping or COVID — and even banned users who dared to ask about the Communist leader’s views on Winnie the Pooh. The Chinese AI — called Ernie Bot and rolled out in March by Beijing-based tech firm Baidu — has been touted by the country as a better alternative to the dangers posed by OpenAI’s ChatGPT. But when quizzed about COVID and Xi in both English and Chinese by CNBC reporter Eunice Yoon during a segment on CNBC “Squawk Box” on Friday, Ernie Bot clammed up or spewed misinformation….