Ma Huateng Talks About Tencent's AI Progress: Onboard but Not Yet Seated Comfortably, Hoping for Faster Ship Speed

On May 13th, Tencent's Board Chairman and CEO Pony Ma addressed the company's AI progress at the shareholders' meeting, acknowledging that Tencent has experienced a tumultuous phase in the field of artificial intelligence. He summarized the current state with a metaphor:

"It turns out that we thought we had boarded the ship a year ago, only to find out that it was leaking. Now it feels like we're standing on it, and we can't sit down either, still hoping the boat will move faster."

This implies that the management rarely admits that Tencent's early AI capabilities were not outstanding. Pony Ma mentioned that Tencent has been filling the gaps in recent years through talent development, team management, and internal training, and is now gradually entering a developmental trajectory.

He also emphasized that Tencent may not be the company in the industry that seizes opportunities the fastest, but will combine its strengths to proceed steadily, without simply following others to grab a share of the market.