Why Yao Shunyu Chose Tencent: Finding the Right Problems in AI’s Next Chapter

On June 5, during the 2026 Tencent Cloud AI Industry Conference, senior executive Tao Daosheng sat down with chief AI scientist Yao Shunyu for a candid chat. When asked why he made the move to Tencent and how he views the next phase of artificial intelligence, Yao’s take was refreshingly straightforward. The early days of AI were all about cracking the code on methodology. Those playbooks are rock-solid now. The real hurdle today? Actually spotting the right problems worth solving. That’s exactly why Tencent caught his eye—the place is packed with meaningful challenges and products that genuinely need answers. On top of that, he pointed out a cultural trait that really sets the company apart: Tencent runs on trust, not just cold, hard metrics. In an industry often obsessed with quick wins, that trust-first mindset is basically the secret sauce for building an AI team that’s designed to thrive long-term.