Tencent launches T1 reasoning model, takes On DeepSeek in China’s AI battle

Chinese tech giant Tencent has officially launched the T1 reasoning model, intensifying the competition in China’s fast-evolving artificial intelligence landscape. Unveiled late on Friday via its official WeChat account, the T1 model aims to deliver superior reasoning capabilities with faster response times and improved efficiency in processing lengthy text documents.

According to Tencent’s announcement, T1 is designed to “keep the content logic clear and the text neat and clean” with an “extremely low” hallucination rate, a critical metric in determining the accuracy and reliability of AI-generated outputs. The model has been made available through various platforms, including Tencent’s AI assistant application, Yuanbao, after a successful preview phase.

The launch of T1 comes on the heels of heightened rivalry between AI companies in China, especially following DeepSeek’s introduction of models that reportedly offer performance comparable to or better than Western counterparts at substantially lower costs. Tencent’s T1 is powered by its Turbo S foundational language model, which was unveiled last month and claims to process queries faster than DeepSeek’s R1 model.

The company even published a benchmark comparison that shows T1 outperforming DeepSeek’s R1 in various knowledge and reasoning assessments, reinforcing Tencent’s ambition to dominate China’s AI race.

Tencent has been making aggressive moves in the AI sector, ramping up its investments and capital expenditures. The company recently announced plans to boost spending in 2025, building upon its substantial AI investment throughout 2024.

The push for AI supremacy in China has become increasingly competitive, with companies like Tencent, DeepSeek, and Baidu all developing new models to secure leadership in this critical technology domain. Tencent’s strategic positioning through the launch of T1 and its commitment to enhancing the Turbo S foundational model stresses its intention to remain at the forefront of AI development in China.