Tencent Says Ai Wins Through Choice, Not Size, at Wef 2026

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At the World Economic Forum 2026, Tencent outlined how AI’s value is shifting from chasing bigger benchmarks to solving specific tasks at scale. Senior Executive Vice President Dowson Tong emphasized that organizations benefit when they can choose models tailored to their needs, not from a single supersized system. The company pointed to human-centered design and model flexibility as the drivers of real-world impact. Falling inference costs – aided by open-source participation – are also widening access. A replay of the discussion is available for those who want the full context.

From One Model to Many Real-World Tasks

The talk underscored that modern AI adoption looks diverse across industries and even within teams. Different use cases call for different model capabilities – and that’s where organizations are seeing tangible wins today.

“When people talk about AI, we tend to think of one big super system… But in reality, there are many different types of models that serve different purposes.”

• Engineering – coding assistants speeding up feature development and delivery.
• Product and design – broader use beyond developers to streamline everyday tasks.
• Retail – generative images and 3D tools shortening product design cycles.
• Marketing – more precise targeting and personalization to improve ROI.
• Healthcare – support in drug discovery to manage complexity and iterate faster.

Across these examples, the pattern is consistent: AI delivers the most value when applied with intention and aligned to concrete outcomes.

Scaling Depends on Cost – and Open Ecosystems

Enterprises are prioritizing efficiency and return on investment. If deployment remains complex or expensive, projects risk stalling at the pilot stage instead of becoming part of daily operations.

“If the cost of using AI is too high, it simply won’t scale.”

Over the past 18 months, strong participation in open-source communities has helped reduce inference costs, making AI more accessible for organizations of different sizes. This cost shift is central to moving from experiments to repeatable, production-grade use.

Choice Over Lock???In: Tencent's Platform Stance

Tencent says it is building open platforms that support a range of AI models rather than a single, one-size-fits-all option. The goal is to let customers match models to their specific workloads and constraints.

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“Customers want choices… Our role is to give the power of choosing the right model back to the hands of the customer.”

That approach reframes platform control: decision-making shifts back to the people using the technology, not the platforms alone.

Learning with Ai, Not Around It

Tencent highlighted the human angle – success depends on how people learn to use these systems. Younger generations increasingly build AI literacy outside classrooms, experimenting with accessible tools.

“The new generation is learning AI not only in schools, but by using freely accessible tools to ask questions and explore their curiosity.”

Over time, skills like framing problems, testing assumptions, and evaluating results become as critical as technical knowledge. Encouraging careful experimentation helps ensure AI becomes a practical assistant rather than a black box.

Watch the Panel

Replay – China’s AI+ Economy panel at the World Economic Forum 2026:

Final Takeaway – Impact Through Choice and Intent

AI leadership, according to Tencent, will favor those who focus on integration, efficiency, and measurable outcomes – not just model size. With lower barriers to use and user control over model selection, AI can advance through many small, everyday improvements that accumulate into meaningful change.