According to 36Kr, Wang Huiwen, the original co-founder of Meituan, has officially returned to the company and taken the helm of the AI team, dedicated to exploring the applications of artificial intelligence. This team, known as GN06, primarily focuses on areas such as emotional companionship and chatbots. Wang Huiwen will play a crucial role within the team, responsible for interviewing and vetting candidates for product and operational positions.
Reports indicate that the GN06 team operates relatively independently and is not affiliated with any business group within Meituan. This independence allows them to focus on new directions outside of the main business, maintaining a separate identity from Meituan's existing AI teams. A core product of GN06 is the AI emotional companionship application Wow, where users can customize the appearance, personality, and voice of characters, and interact with them in the AI community. Since its launch in November last year, Wow has become Meituan's first independent product in the AI application field.
Wang Huiwen founded the company Light Year Outside in 2023, focusing on entrepreneurship in the large model field. However, due to health reasons, he left Meituan and resigned from related positions. After a period of rest, Wang Huiwen gradually recovered his health in April of this year and re-engaged with Meituan in an advisory role. His full-time return now underscores his emphasis and expectations for the AI business.
Under Wang Huiwen's leadership, the GN06 team has significantly increased its recruitment needs, covering positions such as front-end, client-side, and back-end, with many requiring experience with overseas AI products.