Tencent Poaches Microsoft’s WizardLM AI Team With Controversial Past
▼ Summary
– WizardLM, a Microsoft AI research group in Beijing, has reportedly moved to Tencent’s Hunyuan AI development team, as announced by senior researcher Can Xu on X.
– The team has already released a Hunyuan-branded AI model, Hunyuan-TurboS 0416, which is claimed to outperform open models like Google’s Gemma 3 series.
– WizardLM previously released WizardLM-2 under Microsoft, but it was quickly withdrawn due to missing toxicity testing, leading to community backlash after users reuploaded the models.
– Hugging Face CEO criticized Microsoft’s removal of WizardLM models, citing harm to open-source projects that relied on them, with downloads exceeding 100,000 monthly.
– Tencent is investing heavily in AI, attributing 8% YoY growth in Q1 2025 to AI efforts, with plans to spend $12.49 billion on capital expenditures, including AI infrastructure.
Tencent has reportedly recruited Microsoft’s WizardLM AI research team, marking a significant talent acquisition in China’s competitive artificial intelligence sector. The Beijing-based group, known for developing advanced AI models, appears to have transitioned to Tencent’s Hunyuan division, which focuses on cutting-edge AI technologies including video generation and 3D modeling.
Can Xu, a senior researcher who led multiple WizardLM projects at Microsoft, confirmed the move in a social media post. The team has already released its first Tencent-branded model—Hunyuan-TurboS 0416—which Qingfeng Sun, a self-described co-founder of WizardLM, claims surpasses open-source competitors like Google’s Gemma 3 series. The exact size of the departing team and the timeline of their exit remain unclear, with neither Microsoft nor Tencent providing official statements.
WizardLM’s history includes a notable controversy during its time at Microsoft. Last year, the group unveiled WizardLM-2, a model family positioned as a rival to OpenAI’s GPT-4. However, Microsoft abruptly withdrew the release within 24 hours, citing incomplete toxicity testing. The team acknowledged the oversight but faced backlash after users redistributed the models independently. The removal also disrupted open-source projects on platforms like Hugging Face, where CEO Clément Delangue noted the models had been downloaded over 100,000 times monthly.
At Tencent, WizardLM is expected to continue its AI development work under Hunyuan, which recently underwent restructuring to accelerate innovation. Tencent has ramped up AI investments, attributing an 8% revenue growth in early 2025 to its expanded tech initiatives. The company plans to allocate roughly $12.5 billion this year toward infrastructure, with AI playing a central role in its strategy.
The move highlights the intensifying battle for AI talent in China, where tech giants are aggressively expanding their capabilities. While WizardLM’s transition may bolster Tencent’s position, questions linger about the team’s past challenges and how their expertise will integrate into Hunyuan’s broader objectives.
(Source: TechCrunch)
