Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent listed among new-generation AI open innovation platforms

Leading domestic technology companies including Baidu Inc, Alibaba Group and Tencent Holdings have been listed in the first batch of China’s new-generation artificial intelligence (AI) open innovation platforms (OIPs), according to a statement published on the website of the Ministry of Science and Technology on Monday.

According to the statement, the companies will help extend the technology into smart cities and medical services.

Meanwhile, Malaysia may soon be the first foreign country in which Tencent rolls out its WeChat ecosystem, an executive said on Tuesday.

Tencent has made a “breakthrough” in gaining an e-payment license in Malaysia for local transactions, and plans a launch early next year, Senior Vice President Lau Seng Yee was quoted as saying in the Reuters report.

The move pits Shenzhenbased Tencent against rival Alibaba Group as they scramble for new growth opportunities outside China.

Tencent this week became the first Asian firm to enter the club of companies worth more than $500 billion, and on Tuesday surpassed Facebook in market value.

WeChat Pay and Alibaba’s Alipay, which dominate China’s digital payment market, have sought to expand their global footprint, although that push has so far been limited to payment services for Chinese outbound tourists. They can scanand-pay for purchases in 34 countries or regions via Alipay and 13 via WeChat Pay.

Alipay’s parent company Ant Financial has joint ventures in seven markets for local digital payment services, which operate independently under the partnerships’ brand names.

Alibaba is looking to build a global payment system, while Tencent is more interested in generating traffic for WeChat – two different strategies, some bankers and investors said.