Alipay Launches AI Assistant ‘Ah Bao’ in Direct Challenge to WeChat

Key Takeaways

• Ant Group has begun internal trials of an AI assistant named “Ah Bao” within the Alipay platform
• The conversational interface enables users to request ride-hailing, food delivery, and investment management through voice or text
• Tencent’s WeChat is simultaneously developing its own AI agent, creating direct competition between platforms with billion-plus user bases
• Ant Group reported a 79% decline in profits during Q4 2025, attributed to increased AI investment
• Ant International seeks approximately $1 billion in funding for international growth initiatives

Ant Group has initiated trials of a significant Alipay platform transformation, incorporating an artificial intelligence assistant that enables users to access services and handle financial operations using natural language voice or text inputs. This development creates direct rivalry with Tencent’s WeChat, which is pursuing parallel AI functionality.

Capabilities of the AI-Powered Alipay

The artificial intelligence assistant, dubbed “Ah Bao,” enables Alipay users to request transportation services, purchase beverages, schedule meal deliveries, or invest in mutual funds — all via conversational interaction. Users can input requests either by typing or speaking. The system can execute financial transactions such as mutual fund purchases, though only after receiving explicit user permission.

Alipay remains in closed internal testing at present, with no confirmed timeline for public availability. A representative from Ant Group declined to provide additional details.

Competition Among China’s Dominant Platforms

Both Alipay and WeChat command user bases exceeding one billion individuals. Tencent is simultaneously developing an AI agent for WeChat, establishing a direct competitive showdown over which platform delivers superior execution.

ByteDance, operator of the Douyin video platform, is likewise integrating AI throughout its product lineup. Alibaba, which holds a one-third stake in Ant, pursues similar strategies.

These technology companies aim to retain users within their respective platforms. However, this approach demands substantial financial investment. Tencent, Alibaba, and ByteDance collectively deployed billions in promotional campaigns for their AI chatbot offerings during the recent Lunar New Year festivities.

Ant Group’s profits plummeted 79% in the final quarter of 2025 as the company ramped up expenditures on AI initiatives, encompassing healthcare applications and large language model research.

AI Strategy Emerges After Regulatory Challenges

Ant has prioritized artificial intelligence following Chinese regulatory intervention that halted its 2020 initial public offering, previously valued at $280 billion. Regulators additionally imposed restrictions on its lending operations. A subsequent share buyback program in 2023 established the company’s valuation at approximately $79 billion.

Since that period, Ant has expanded its healthcare and AI product portfolios. Its health-focused application, AQ, reached 140 million users by September of last year. The organization also introduced a humanoid robot last year with capabilities including medical consultations and basic culinary functions.

Ant International, the company’s global division, is currently exploring a fundraising round of roughly $1 billion. Sources with knowledge of the discussions indicate this financing could establish Ant International’s valuation at $10 billion or higher.

The expanding AI agent movement is elevating operational expenses industry-wide, as these sophisticated tools demand substantially more computational resources than conventional chatbot systems. The effectiveness of Alipay and WeChat’s AI implementations may determine the trajectory of China’s application ecosystem in coming years.