Tencent tests an AI helper inside WeChat ahead of a wider launch

In short: Tencent is testing an AI helper inside WeChat that can carry out tasks in the app, but a public release will depend on regulatory checks and available computing power.

What happened

Tencent is moving closer to launching an AI agent inside WeChat, the all purpose app used by about 1.4 billion people in China. The company is testing a prototype and plans to start the compliance process needed before a public launch as soon as this month, according to people familiar with the plan.

The AI agent is designed to help users get things done inside WeChat. In an early demonstration, users could open the agent by swiping right on the main screen and typing instructions. The agent can then use WeChat’s “mini-apps” (small add-on services inside WeChat, like little stores and tools) to do tasks such as finding a cafe and ordering a drink based on a price or flavor.

Tencent would first test the agent with a small group of external users and then roll it out in stages. The company has not set a public launch date, partly because the compliance timeline is uncertain.

Tencent is also under pressure from Chinese rivals. Alibaba has added agent style features across services in its Qwen app, and ByteDance has added similar functions to Doubao. Tencent already offers a chatbot called Yuanbao inside WeChat, but the new agent would be more action focused.

Why it matters

For everyday users, this could make WeChat feel more like a personal assistant that can navigate services for you, instead of you tapping through menus yourself. For Tencent, the big hurdle is scale. Running an AI agent for hundreds of millions of people needs large amounts of computing power (the heavy duty computers that run AI), and China’s tech firms have faced limits on buying some Nvidia chips from the US.

Source: Financial Times