President Xu Kun of Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications: AI Has Not Replaced Teachers

Lead

Xu Kun, president of Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications (北京邮电大学), reportedly told domestic media that artificial intelligence has not replaced teachers — a timely reminder as Chinese tech firms push AI ever deeper into everyday apps. The comment comes amid fresh reporting that major platforms are preparing to make AI a built-in feature of services millions rely on. If tools become ubiquitous, what stays distinctly human?

Tencent’s WeChat push

It has been reported that Tencent (腾讯) is secretly developing an AI assistant inside WeChat (微信), according to The Information. The project, said to be highly confidential, reportedly began at least in the first half of 2025. Plans floated include a grey-box test in mid-2026 and a wider roll‑out in the third quarter, though those dates could shift if the product is not judged mature enough. Rather than a standalone app, the assistant would appear as a conversational entry in users’ chat lists and call existing mini-programs to complete tasks — tapping into millions of mini-programs for services such as food delivery and ride-hailing and leveraging WeChat’s roughly 1.4 billion monthly active users.

Products, platforms and policy

Tencent has also pushed three AI agent products lately — QClaw (remote PC control via chat), WeCom Bot (for enterprise collaboration) and WorkBuddy (a multi-platform office assistant) — all embedded in high-frequency apps like WeChat and QQ rather than as independent downloads. It has been reported that this strategy aims to make these apps the primary “AI entry points” for Chinese consumers. That approach matters not just commercially but geopolitically: amid U.S.-China tech rivalry and export controls on advanced chips, Chinese firms are accelerating software and ecosystem strategies while regulators tighten rules on data security and algorithm transparency. Will smarter apps augment educators or supplant the classroom experience? For now, university leaders like Xu Kun argue the answer is clear: AI is a tool, not a teacher.