(June 22): Tencent Holdings Ltd has started testing a new artificial intelligence (AI) assistant for WeChat as part of its efforts to catch up with peers in China’s white-hot AI race.
Known as Weixin in China, the super app has made the new AI assistant available to a small number of users, according to a statement from WeChat on Monday. Users are able to interact with the service, named Xiaowei, via text or voice, and the tool can help them complete various tasks by tapping into mini-apps, WeChat added.
While WeChat did not specify what tasks the agent-like Xiaowei can accomplish, the super app hosts food delivery and ride-hailing mini-programmes.
Xiaowei mainly uses Weixin’s own large language model WeLM while sometimes turning to DeepSeek to process some queries, Tencent’s customer service unit said in a separate statement.
A successful introduction of enhanced AI services in WeChat, China’s most popular messaging service with over a billion users, may now be essential in helping Tencent better compete with other major Chinese players and monetise new technology. The Shenzhen-based company trails peers like ByteDance Ltd and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd in terms of both user adoption and advances in developing state-of-the-art large language models.
Chinese tech companies are gradually integrating more powerful AI technology to their super apps to keep users on their platforms. Alibaba’s fintech affiliate Ant Group Co is testing an AI agent within its Alipay app that will allow users to book car rides or order takeouts.
See also: Tencent testing new AI agent for WeChat workplace app
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