Several members of WizardLM, an artificial intelligence research group originally linked to Microsoft and based in Beijing, have transitioned to Tencent, the technology conglomerate behind WeChat and several major games. Can Xu, who previously led key projects at WizardLM, revealed through social channels that he and his team departed Microsoft and joined Hunyuan, which oversees Tencent‘s AI advancements.
Hunyuan has made notable progress recently with the release of video and three dimensional content generators, broadening Tencent’s influence in artificial intelligence. Not long after joining, the team’s expertise contributed to the launch of a new model called Hunyuan TurboS 0416, proudly carrying the Hunyuan name.
Tencent Expands AI Ambitions
Reports suggest that this latest model has surpassed competitors like Google’s Gemma 3 lineup, at least in some publicly shared benchmarks according to Qingfeng Sun, who described himself as a cofounder of WizardLM. Details about the exact number of researchers making this move remain unclear, as does the timing of their exit from Microsoft.
WizardLM itself has a complex past, including the hasty removal of its WizardLM 2 AI system from public access following Microsoft’s concerns over missing toxicity evaluations. The team assured users these tests were quickly underway and promised to restore model access soon after.
Despite the takedown, unauthorized versions of WizardLM 2 quickly spread online, fueling open source adoption and sparking frustration within the broader AI community. Leadership at Hugging Face highlighted that Microsoft’s action disrupted many ongoing open source projects, leaving developers searching for solutions.
As part of Tencent, WizardLM is expected to pursue its original mission, focusing on AI model development but now with enhanced resources and greater scope. Tencent, meanwhile, is scaling its AI operations, establishing additional units within Hunyuan and investing significantly in infrastructure—a strategy officials say contributed to an eight percent revenue increase in early 2025.
Company executives have committed an estimated ninety billion yuan, nearly $12.5 billion, this year to capital outlays, much of which is directed toward expanding AI capabilities. With new talent and fresh funding, Tencent positions itself to play an even larger role in shaping future AI technology advances.
