Tencent Holdings has started testing a new artificial intelligence assistant inside WeChat as it looks to close the gap on rivals in China's fast-moving AI market.
WeChat, known as Weixin in China and one of the country's most widely used super apps, confirmed in a statement on 22 June that the assistant, named Xiaowei, is currently available to a number of users.
Xiaowei accepts input via text or voice and can help users complete tasks by drawing on WeChat's network of mini-apps, the embedded lightweight programmes that underpin much of the platform's commercial and service activity.
The rollout positions WeChat as a late but strategically significant entrant in China's AI assistant race, where rivals have moved aggressively to embed generative AI into consumer-facing products.
