WeChat, China's leading social media platform, is conducting small-scale testing to integrate DeepSeek's R1 large model, joining a group of Chinese tech giants in embracing DeepSeek for enhanced AI capabilities, Tencent confirmed to China Daily on Sunday.

Users included in the test can see the "AI Search" label at the top of the search bar and access the full version of DeepSeek's R1 model for free, the company said.

Multiple Tencent products, including Tencent Cloud's AI code assistant, are exploring integration with DeepSeek to offer users a richer experience and enhanced services, it added.

Among Chinese companies looking to leverage DeepSeek's potential breakthrough, automaker Great Wall Motor and leading telecoms providers are incorporating the AI model released by DeepSeek into their offerings.

In a separate announcement, Baidu said it would fully connect its search engine to DeepSeek as well as its proprietary Ernie large language model.

Experts noted that open-source models such as DeepSeek, with their flexibility and low entry barriers, are reshaping the industry ecosystem, forcing industry leaders to break free from closed systems.