Ant Group has reportedly started testing an AI agent interface for Alipay, which will be able to conduct tasks like booking a car ride and buying mutual funds with user authorisation.
The move represents a significant step in Ant's ongoing competition with Tencent's WeChat, which has more than one billion users and is reportedly testing a similar AI agent of its own.
According to Bloomberg, the Alipay AI agent will allow users to issue requests by typing or speaking, covering everyday services such as transport bookings, food orders, and coffee purchases. With user authorisation, the assistant will also be able to perform money-management tasks, including buying mutual funds. The updated version of Alipay is currently being tested internally only, and Ant Group has not finalised a release schedule. An Ant Group representative declined to comment when approached.
Competitive landscape and industry context
Moreover, the development reflects a broader shift among China's largest internet platforms toward AI agents capable of completing complex tasks autonomously. Alipay and WeChat, both used by more than one billion people for activities ranging from utility payments to travel and entertainment bookings, are likely to be closely watched as templates for how AI assistants are integrated into super-app environments.
The competitive dynamic also extends to ByteDance, whose short-video platform Douyin is widely used, and Alibaba, which owns one third of Ant Group. Each of these platforms is incorporating AI more deeply into its services, a trend that is increasing operational costs as AI features require greater computing power.
Background: AI strategy following regulatory setbacks
Ant Group's expansion into AI follows regulatory intervention by Chinese authorities that halted its planned initial public offering and placed restrictions on its lending operations. In 2025, the company unveiled its first humanoid robot, capable of providing basic medical consultations and performing simple kitchen tasks. Ant has also developed a healthcare application called AQ, which had 140 million users as of September 2025. Separately, a 2023 share repurchase proposal valued Ant Group at approximately USD 79 billion, compared with the USD 280 billion valuation it had sought during its attempted listing in Shanghai and Hong Kong in late 2020.
The integration of AI agents into Alipay, if rolled out more broadly, would mark a notable evolution in how Chinese consumers interact with financial and lifestyle services through a single application, with implications for user engagement and the competitive positioning of China's major internet platforms.
