TENCENT(HK:00700) 3 6 Ke·2026-01-28 11:02Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the competitive landscape of AI applications during the Chinese New Year, highlighting Tencent's strategic approach to leverage its social ecosystem for AI integration, particularly through the "元宝派" project and cash incentives to enhance user engagement and retention [5][9][12]. Group 1: Tencent's Strategy - Tencent is utilizing its social networks (WeChat and QQ) to drive the adoption of its AI product "元宝" by offering 10 billion yuan in cash incentives, aiming to replicate the success of its previous WeChat red envelope model [5][9]. - The company is focusing on high-frequency social scenarios to promote low-frequency AI usage, effectively transforming AI from a low-frequency tool into a high-frequency companion in daily social interactions [6][10]. - Tencent's approach is characterized as stable and strategic, avoiding the panic seen in other companies that aggressively push into AI without a clear advantage [9][10]. Group 2: Competitive Landscape - ByteDance's strategy contrasts with Tencent's, focusing on a defensive approach while maintaining a strong user base through its AI application "豆包," which currently leads in daily active users [10][11]. - The competition is framed as a "desktop elimination race," where the ability to secure a spot on users' home screens during the holiday period will determine long-term success in the AI sector [12][16]. - Other players like Baidu and Alibaba are noted for their more cautious strategies, with Baidu's "文心一言" facing challenges in both traffic and technology, while Alibaba's "千问" opts for a strategic retreat in the consumer market [13][15]. Group 3: User Engagement and Retention - The success of AI applications will ultimately be measured by user retention rates after the holiday period, rather than initial download numbers, indicating the importance of sustained engagement [16][17]. - The article suggests that the effectiveness of cash incentives, such as red envelopes, will play a crucial role in determining whether users continue to engage with AI applications post-holiday [12][16]. - The potential for user habits to shift towards using AI within social platforms like WeChat poses a significant risk for competitors like Douyin, which may lose their core user engagement if users prefer AI solutions integrated into their existing social interactions [10][11].