I gave Tencent’s WeChat AI agent control for 24 hours: where it excelled – and stumbled

Tencent Holdings has embedded an AI agent named Xiaowei into its WeChat super-app, touting its focus on user privacy and inference efficiency in its latest earnings results announced on Wednesday. In a 24-hour trial, the agent showed promise in automating tasks but also proved frustrating at times.

I gave Tencent’s WeChat AI agent control for 24 hours: where it excelled – and stumbled The new Xiaowei agent promises hands-free control across WeChat’s vast digital ecosystem. I set out to see whether it delivers Ben Jiang /author/ben-jiang in Beijing Tencent Holdings https://www.scmp.com/topics/tencent?module=inline&pgtype=article ’ WeChat is already the undisputed super-app for over a billion people in China, handling everything from splitting dinner bills to hailing taxis. Now, Tencent is embedding an artificial intelligence https://www.scmp.com/topics/artificial-intelligence?module=inline&pgtype=article agent named Xiaowei into the platform, adding a hands-free, automated assistant to its vast digital ecosystem. In its latest earnings results announced on Wednesday, Tencent highlighted Xiaowei for the first time, touting its focus on user privacy and inference efficiency. After gaining early access to the trial feature, which appears as two green dots at the top of the main screen, I spent nearly 24 hours letting Xiaowei run my digital routine. The goal: see how much of my daily life an AI agent could actually take over. The verdict? It’s a fascinating, promising glimpse into the future of apps – and an occasional exercise in frustration. Beyond chatting: an agent that works Unlike standard chatbots that simply answer questions, an AI agent is designed to take action. Where a chatbot recommends a hotpot restaurant, Xiaowei is meant to make a reservation and place your order, too.