Pony Ma says Tencent is ready to shift half its staff to AI-native work

On November 12, 2026, Bloomberg Technology first reported that Tencent founder Pony Ma said he is willing to deploy half of the company's workforce to AI-native businesses, urging its 100,000-strong team to embrace what he called an era-defining technology. That report did not specify which business lines would be involved and offered no timeline.

Later the same day, Solidot provided more details from the speech. Speaking at his annual address this week, Ma told employees that the industry has entered what he described as an age of great navigation. He compared Tencent's core business to the army and its new AI work to the navy, saying 50% of staff should defend the existing core business and improve efficiency, while the other 50% should explore AI Native and pursue new growth. Responding to recent rumors that Tencent planned to lay off 50% of its staff, people familiar with the matter said the claim is entirely untrue, and suggested that the reallocation of company resources to fit the AI era may be where the rumor originated.

That evening, Techmeme rounded up the story, citing Bloomberg's sources, and likewise reported Ma's statement in the annual speech that half of the 100,000-strong workforce could be directed to AI-native businesses. No timeline or list of affected business lines was given there either. As of now, the available information consists of Ma's remarks and the denial of the layoff rumor, with no implementation plan published by Tencent.