Tencent to Double AI Spending After Games Drive 13% Sales Growth

Tencent Holdings Ltd. plans to at least double investments in AI to more than 36 billion yuan ($5.2 billion) in 2026, underscoring a big bet on OpenClaw-style agents to seize the upper hand in an increasingly combative arena.

China’s most valuable company plans to bankroll that outlay by curtailing the aggressive buybacks that’ve helped buoy its stock in recent years, as well as from growth of its gaming and ad businesses. Tencent’s revenue grew 13% in the December quarter — its fifth straight period of double-digit growth.

The strong showing boosts Tencent’s bid to capture a shift to AI agents ...