Tencent plans to double its artificial intelligence expenditure to over RMB 36 billion in 2026. This follows a projected spend of RMB 18 billion in 2025.
Former OpenAI researcher Yao Shunyu will lead this strategic push. Yao joined the company in the summer of 2025. The company appointed him Chief AI Scientist in December 2025.
Yao aims to establish a long-term organization in China dedicated to developing artificial general intelligence (AGI). Tencent established three new units under his leadership: AI Infrastructure, AI Data, and a Data Computing Platform.