On February 17, 2023, Tencent-related stocks experienced a significant surge in the Hong Kong stock market, with Tencent Holdings itself closing up by 3.96%. Notably, Weimob Group soared over 11%, andTencent Music, listed as Tencent Music Entertainment Group, jumped by more than 6%. During the trading session, Tencent’s shares reached an impressive peak, up by 7.83%, crossing the 500 Hong Kong dollar mark per share. This remarkable performance translated into an increase of approximately HKD 320 billion in market capitalization, equivalent to about CNY 298.1 billion, reaching a three-year high. Concurrently, A-share Tencent Cloud-related stocks also gained momentum, with companies like Data Harbor and Yunsai Zhilian hitting their upper price limits.

Furthermore, the DeepSeek AI search integration offers internet-connected search capabilities without the need for users to make manual selections, as the system automatically activates. By tapping into a wealth of content within the WeChat ecosystem, alongside high-quality data from across the web, DeepSeek provides comprehensive and high-quality responses to user queries. In an era overflowing with information, the demand for accurate and thorough information is greater than ever. The combination of WeChat's extensive data resources and DeepSeek's advanced algorithms ensures that users receive precise, valuable results, enhancing their overall experience—whether they are searching for knowledge, seeking life service, or gathering news updates.

As this capability is still undergoing grayscale testing, the WeChat team plans to continuously optimize based on user feedback. Initial observations indicated that the AI search feature lacked the ability to view search history; however, this functionality has since been introduced, enhancing user experience further. In addition to WeChat, many other Tencent products are either already integrated with DeepSeek or are in the process of doing so. Products like the Tencent Cloud AI Code Assistant, Tencent Yuanbao, Tencent IMA, and QQ Browser have all adopted DeepSeek technology.

This recent bold move by Tencent to rapidly embrace DeepSeek contrasts sharply with the company’s previous two-year approach of emphasizing "steady progress without rushing." Notably, Tencent has developed its own mixed Yuan model, and previously, various internal teams utilized external open-source models before gradually shifting focus towards Yuan. This significant decision indicates that Tencent regards DeepSeek on equal footing with Yuan or even bestows it a higher status. For instance, Tencent Yuanbao, an AI assistant and a key portal for Tencent’s Yuan model tailored for consumer markets, officially integrated with the full version of DeepSeek-R1 starting February 13, allowing users to choose between Yuan and DeepSeek based on their preferences.

The significance of DeepSeek is further highlighted by its presence in WeChat, a product with a staggering 1.3 billion monthly active users. Known for its cautious approach, the WeChat development team generally aims to ensure that any new initiatives are thoroughly vetted prior to launch. In Tencent's third-quarter financial report last year, the company mentioned that “WeChat Search utilizes the capabilities of large language models to enhance the understanding of complex queries and content, improving the relevance of search results.” However, initially, these enhancements were stealthily integrated within the search function of WeChat, only becoming evident once users conducted searches. Now, with DeepSeek’s integration, WeChat has created a distinct portal for "AI Search," marking a critical step in showcasing this capability, despite the gateway currently being somewhat obscured.

Industry analysts have suggested that Tencent's swift engagement with DeepSeek reflects its "product-first" operational strategy. This is particularly evident regarding WeChat, which previously refrained from granting a separate AI search portal to Yuan. This omission suggests that WeChat has not compromised its standards merely because Yuan is an internal product. Nevertheless, it should be noted that this shift doesn’t imply Tencent will cease investing in Yuan—instead, it illustrates that DeepSeek currently holds a competitive edge, propelling Yuan to rapidly evolve in response.

In fact, the emergence of DeepSeek has accelerated the development process across the broader AI large model landscape; however, it has not altered the overarching industry direction. The commitment to pursuing higher performance and cost-effective models remains a shared objective among industry participants. Tencent’s actions in the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence, especially with user-centric strategies like the integration of DeepSeek, indicate a potential transformation in how users interact with their digital environments and the services they can expect moving forward.