It’s so exciting, WeChat has access to DeepSeekR1 with full blood! On February 15, many users found that the word AI search appeared in the search entry at the top of the WeChat dialog box. After clicking to enter, two options were displayed: "Quick Answer" and "Deep Thinking". Deep Thinking was answered by DeepSeekR1.
After testing by Silicon Star people, it was found that the search data source combines public account tweets and authoritative web content. 10 reference materials are attached below the answer. After obtaining the answer, you can forward it to your circle of friends/group chat with one click, without the need for secondary operations such as copying and forwarding.
However, this function is still subject to some limitations. First, it does not support multiple rounds of dialogue Q&A; second, it does not support viewing historical Q&A records, and the response time for some complex questions is about 15-30 seconds. It is currently in a small-scale grayscale test and is expected to be fully open in the next 2-4 weeks.
Silicon Star people learned from Tencent that WeChat Souyisou, while using the Hunyuan large model to enrich AI search, has recently officially connected DeepSeekR1 in grayscale testing.
The connected model is confirmed to be the DeepSeek-R1 full-health version model.
Silicon Star also learned exclusively that the access to WeChat, as well as the access to Tencent Cloud AI Code Assistant, Tencent Yuanbao, etc. during the same period are just the beginning. Tencent will have more products connected to DeepSeek in the future.
In just 12 hours, this function has been "broken" by netizens!
Many public account bloggers began to ask about WeChat search, about their own introduction and evaluation, whether they are smart or not. Some users also strongly requested to break the limitations of traditional AI search and whether they can give answers based on the content of chat records. WeChat search can instantly become a "memory extraction" tool. Some even hope that he can summarize work group chat messages and turn them into work memos.
In fact, before WeChat search accessed R1, Tencent Yuanbao had just announced access to DeepSeekR1, allowing users to freely switch between Tencent Hunyuan large models and DeepSeekR1 when selecting models. It is also the first company among self-developed large model manufacturers to integrate R1 into its main product.
But compared to Yuanbao, WeChat’s access is of extraordinary significance. As China's largest national app, WeChat's every move is under the spotlight. It is precisely for this reason that WeChat is extra cautious when it comes to exploring AI compared to super apps such as Alipay and Douyin.
According to what Silicon Star learned from internal WeChat employees: Starting in 2023, the WeChat team has begun to think about how to combine with AI and how to combine it. Some teams have proposed improvements to AI functions. However, because WeChat has a very large number of users, any small change may affect the experience of hundreds of millions of people, so they are very cautious. In the end, it was not reflected in the product.
And AI search happens to be the best landing point.
On the one hand, in the past two years when the industry has been exploring AI applications, AI search has become a relatively core and mature implementation scenario, and has quickly cultivated users' usage habits and verified its feasibility. On the other hand, due to the high-quality and differentiated content of WeChat public accounts, WeChat search has special functions among other search products.
Previously, the WeChat search team began to test AI search in 2024. On the Souyisou page, there is a probability that integrated answers to AI searches will appear in the top content.
This access to DeepSeek means that WeChat’s AI search has taken another big step forward. After all, the previous AI search was just a supplement to regular search, and the generated content was only used as an overview of the search content to improve the user's information acquisition rate. The AI search connected to DeepSeek is equivalent to opening up a brand new content section.
Search is a relatively safe testing ground. It will not interfere with the user's core social experience, and can truly solve the pain points of information acquisition. In particular, WeChat has a unique public account content ecosystem, which enables AI search to generate differentiated value. During the grayscale test, WeChat can return to the AI integration overview and reshape the ecological chain.
After all, after WeChat is connected to R1, it is not only a technological upgrade, but also allows users to complete the entire process from information acquisition, in-depth analysis to content creation without leaving WeChat. In particular, search has always been a key connector in the entire WeChat ecosystem, connecting mini programs, public accounts, WeChat stores, and other parts. When search opens the door to AI, the connections in the entire ecosystem will inevitably change.