Yao Xing

Transliterated name · original name retained below

Yao Xing founded XVERSE in 2021 after serving as a Tencent vice president. A member of AI strategic advisory committees for the science ministry, Shanghai and Guangzhou. At Tencent, led creation of its first AI Lab in 2016 and first robotics laboratory Robotics X in 2018, while overseeing multiple technical departments in the Technology Engineering Group (TEG). Brought together leading scientists and engineers from China and overseas to advance machine learning, computer vision, speech and NLP research and applications. Led products including national Go team training AI Fine Art, Honor of Kings AI Juewu, China’s first clinical intelligent microscope, AI drug discovery platform Yunshen Zhiyao and smart agriculture solution iGrow. Initially worked at Huawei and joined Tencent in 2004. Managed platform, infrastructure and search technology departments, leading storage systems, search engines, cloud platforms and WeChat red packets to support WeChat, QQ and Tencent Cloud. Developed extensive large-scale service architecture, frontier technology and management expertise and market insight in industry applications and business development. Yao is a recognized AI expert and former member of the science ministry’s new-generation AI strategic advisory committee, Shanghai AI advisory expert and Guangdong new-generation AI development strategic adviser. Established Tencent’s AI R&D system and led major research and applications. As vice president, founded AI Lab in 2016 and Robotics X in 2018, advancing machine learning, computer vision and NLP. Products included Fine Art, Juewu, China’s first clinical intelligent microscope, Yunshen Zhiyao, iGrow and a free platform predicting severe COVID risk in collaboration with Academician Zhong Nanshan’s team. Long served as vice chair of Tencent’s Science and Technology Association, chaired by Pony Ma. Led AI Lab and Robotics X publications at ACL, CVPR, EMNLP, IJCAI, INTERSPEECH, IROS, NeurIPS and AAAI. Tencent ranked 8 globally in AI paper output in 2020 according to Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s Acemap, as cited in the source. Open-sourced dozens of influential AI projects with more than a million downloads and bookmarks worldwide. Received Tencent AI Accelerator Navigator recognition and a Tencent Academy special award for outstanding courses. Also managed multiple TEG departments, including platform, infrastructure and search technology, developing storage systems, search engines, cloud platforms and WeChat red packets to support WeChat, QQ and Tencent Cloud, with extensive large-scale architecture and technical management experience. Founded Shenzhen XVERSE Information Technology at the end of 2021 as CEO. One of few Chinese companies combining AI and 3D expertise, now described as a domestic leader in both AI and 3D. Raised more than 220 million US dollars at a valuation above 1.4 billion US dollars. Appeared on Hurun’s Global Unicorn list for three consecutive years and Forbes China’s AI Technology Enterprises top 50, one of only two general-purpose large-model businesses from Guangdong on that list. Led domestic open-source models toward international standards. XVERSE was among Guangdong’s earliest nationally registered models and one of few local startups capable of general-purpose model R&D. Open-sourced internally developed models with 7 billion, 13 billion and 65 billion parameters in 2023. Released models in 2024 including a 255 billion-parameter MoE, then China’s largest open-source MoE, and a model with a world-leading 256K context length. Named a Qbit AI Influential Person of the Year in 2023. Its interactive fiction and role-play app Saylo ranks highly overseas, with over 3 million users, consistently top-three downloads in Hong Kong and Taiwan and retention reaching 70%. In 3D, developed leading device-cloud collaborative 3D interactive technology and MotionGen, described as China’s first physics-based text-to 3D motion model, combining large models, physical simulation and reinforcement learning for a major advance in China’s 3D AIGC models. Its large-space VR brand VISION WALK leads through multiple premium experiences, high revenue per unit area and broad coverage. Operates in more than 50 cities across 25 provinces, municipalities and regions, partnering with Shaanxi History Museum, Anhui Museum, Yunnan Provincial Museum, Luoyi Ancient City and Tianjin Art Museum.