Tencent is testing a new artificial intelligence (AI) assistant for its WeChat app. This is part of its effort to keep up with rivals in China's busy AI race. AI helps computers understand and use language like humans.
WeChat, known in China as Weixin, said the new AI assistant is available to a small number of users. This was announced in a statement on Monday. WeChat is a very popular app in China.
Users can interact with the service, named Xiaowei. They can send text or voice messages. The tool helps users do different tasks. It can access mini-programs within WeChat. Bloomberg reported this, and it was seen by Al-Arabiya Business.
WeChat did not specify all the tasks Xiaowei can do. But the app has mini-programs for food delivery and ordering taxis. This suggests the assistant could be used for such services. Mini-programs are like apps within an app.
A separate statement from Tencent's customer service unit said Xiaowei uses the WeLM large language model. Weixin developed WeLM in-house. Sometimes, it uses the Deepseek model for certain questions. Large language models are AI trained on lots of text data.
Adding advanced AI services to WeChat is important. WeChat is China's most popular messaging app. It has over one billion users. This could help Tencent compete better. It may also help the company earn money from new technologies.
Tencent, based in Shenzhen, is behind some competitors. Companies like ByteDance and Alibaba are ahead in using these services. They are also advancing in developing new AI technologies.
Chinese tech companies are adding stronger AI technologies to their apps. This helps them keep users on their platforms. It is a gradual process for many.
Ant Group, part of Alibaba, is also testing an AI agent. This is for its Alipay app. Users will be able to book car rides or order food. Alipay is a popular payment app.