Ant Group tests AI assistant for Alipay in WeChat rivalry

Ant Group, the financial technology giant behind the Alipay super-app, is testing a major redesign that introduces an artificial intelligence assistant capable of handling tasks like booking rides, ordering food, and managing investments through voice or text commands. The move, confirmed by sources familiar with the plans, represents a significant escalation in the company's long-running competition with Tencent's WeChat, as both platforms race to integrate AI agents for their billion-plus user bases.

The new AI assistant, internally dubbed "Ah Bao," is designed to let users converse with Alipay to arrange services such as car rides, coffee delivery, and takeout. It can also execute financial tasks, including purchasing mutual funds, but only after receiving explicit user authorization. The feature is currently in closed internal testing, and a public release date has not been finalized. A spokesperson for Ant Group declined to comment.

This development places Alipay in direct competition with WeChat, which is simultaneously testing its own AI agent prototype. Both platforms are central to daily life in China, used for everything from paying bills to booking travel, and their...