At Meituan's annual shareholders meeting in Beijing, founder Wang Xing unveiled the company's comprehensive artificial intelligence strategy, marking a significant step in the Chinese tech giant's AI ambitions. The presentation highlighted both current implementations and future directions for AI across Meituan's operations.

From Food Delivery to Language Models Wang outlined Meituan's phased AI development, beginning with early applications in food delivery logistics. "We've used deep neural networks for years to optimize our routing systems," Wang explained. The company has now shifted focus to large language models and their commercial applications, investing heavily over the past three years.

The No-Code Revolution A centerpiece of Meituan's strategy is its internal no-code platform, now available free to the public. This innovative tool enables non-technical staff—from HR specialists to financial analysts—to develop applications with AI assistance. "The barrier between idea and implementation has disappeared," Wang stated. The platform currently hosts 1,680 functional applications developed by employees across departments.

Balancing Short-Term Costs and Long-Term Vision Wang addressed shareholder concerns about significant AI investments, particularly in hardware and talent acquisition. "Graphics cards don't come cheap," he remarked, noting the intense competition for both equipment and top AI researchers. While acknowledging short-term financial pressures, Wang maintained that technological leadership will ultimately enhance Meituan's core mission of improving daily life services.

The founder shared his perspective on AI adoption cycles: "We tend to overestimate short-term impacts but underestimate decade-long transformations." Though current AI applications haven't revolutionized lifestyles like smartphones did, Wang predicted fundamental changes within ten years.

Key Points

1. Meituan has opened its no-code development platform to the public with 1,680 available applications
2. The company faces challenges acquiring expensive hardware and scarce AI talent
3. Short-term financial impacts may be negative despite long-term strategic benefits
4. Current focus includes large language model development and practical applications
5. Wang Xing predicts significant lifestyle changes from AI within a decade