- The proprietary AI model has completed its basic capability construction and internal codenaming, and is expected to be officially launched in 2026.
- The AI agent will utilize long-term user behavior to improve efficiency.
Tencent's WeChat team is currently developing an independent artificial intelligence model, which has completed its basic capability construction and internal codenaming, local media 36Kr reported on Thursday.
The company expects to officially roll out the technology to the public in 2026. It will be primarily used to connect WeChat's extensive mini-program ecosystem and support the development of various AI agents capable of performing complex operations, according to the report.
The AI agent will utilize long-term user behavior to improve efficiency. When leveraging data to empower AI, making users feel that it is merely a tool rather than a "snooper" is a crucial consideration for the WeChat team during the agent's development, people familiar with the matter told 36Kr.
From a longer-term strategic perspective, the WeChat team also hopes to explore application scenarios deeply embedded in its social ecosystem in the future based on the capabilities of this proprietary model, the report said.
The WeChat team summarized the trends of entering the AI sector at an internal executive meeting in December 2025 and reached the following conclusions:
WeChat must have built-in AI tools that do not rely on third-party systems.
WeChat essentially consists of three parts: interpersonal social networking, information acquisition, and efficiency tools. Among them, social relationships themselves cannot be replaced by AI, and AI's role can only occur at the information and efficiency levels.
WeChat's decision to deploy its own model has accelerated the expansion of its desktop AI product matrix, reflecting the fierce competition Chinese tech giants are experiencing in the artificial intelligence field. Competitors, including Alibaba and ByteDance, have already launched their respective AI agents.
On Tuesday, The Information reported that Tencent is secretly developing a top-secret AI agent for its WeChat app, aiming to automate tasks such as booking ride-hailing services and food delivery across millions of mini-programs for its 1.4 billion monthly active users.
Tencent intends to launch gray-box testing in the middle of the year and roll out the feature to all users in the third quarter, according to The Information.
However, insiders said that if the feature is not yet mature, the launch timeline could still be adjusted, the report noted.
