Overview
- Tencent has begun a limited internal “grayscale” test of an AI assistant called Xiaowei embedded inside WeChat that accepts voice and text commands.
- Xiaowei is built as a command layer to send messages, place calls and navigate WeChat’s mini‑programs rather than act as a general chat bot.
- Tencent says most Xiaowei requests are handled by its WeLM large language model with some queries routed to DeepSeek for processing.
- The company is working with smartphone makers reported to include Huawei and Xiaomi to extend cross‑device control but has given no public launch date.
- The trial reflects a wider race among Chinese super apps to add task‑oriented AI and faces regulatory registration requirements that could shape any broader rollout.