Tencent Says Overseas AI Demand Posts Triple-Digit Growth, Expands Into Europe

Tencent's reported triple-digit growth in overseas artificial intelligence demand and a doubling of active overseas customers appear to be driven by a dual strategy focusing on cost efficiency and AI agent adoption. The company noted significant expansion, particularly in Europe, where it has grown its data center in Frankfurt and secured customers such as Maxon and eMAG. This push also extends to the Americas, including CNN Brasil.

A key aspect of Tencent's reported rapid expansion is its focus on improving cost efficiency. The company states it allows customers to select from a range of AI models, including its own Hunyuan model, alongside DeepSeek and Kimi, to optimize performance for specific tasks. Furthermore, Tencent is reportedly optimizing for domestically produced chips, claiming to have increased throughput on one Chinese-made AI semiconductor fivefold in two weeks. This aims to lower AI inference costs, the computational expenses when an AI model processes new data for predictions, and enhance price competitiveness.

Tencent is also reportedly gaining traction in AI agents, which are AI programs designed to perform specific tasks. Its WorkBuddy agent for workplace use drew 85.34 million visits last month, significantly ahead of competing products from Alibaba and ByteDance. The company attributes WorkBuddy's strengths to an intuitive interface and close compatibility with existing platforms such as WeChat and Tencent Docs, potentially easing integration for users.