Meituan | Wang Xing: Digitalization of the Physical World Will Be a Very Important Foundation for AI

Meituan (03690) CEO Wang Xing shared his views on AI development at the 2026 management communication meeting: “The changes brought by AI will be much greater than those of the entire Internet. Mobile Internet and the Internet are not fundamentally different; they might be like roses and peonies. But compared to the Internet, AI is like the difference between monkeys and flowers—its scale and impact are much larger.”

“The experience of ‘old experts’ may not be effective. Young people will continue to burst out with all kinds of ‘weird’ ideas. Facing the AI wave, the only thing we can do is actively embrace it,” Wang Xing said. “AI Agents have a greater impact on me than ChatGPT. We’ve experienced the shift from the Internet to mobile Internet. One thing is certain: the changes brought by AI will be much greater than those of the entire Internet. It is destined to create enormous productivity and will definitely bring significant changes to organizations and work modes.”

He also mentioned that for Meituan, the digitalization of the physical world will be a very important foundation for AI. “Although large models are becoming smarter, we can imagine that even if Einstein were a secretary and asked him to book a restaurant, he still wouldn’t know if there are seats available. This is not an intelligence issue but an information issue.”

Public information shows that Meituan has launched multiple AI applications and self-developed large models. Last year, Meituan announced increased investment in building real-world information infrastructure. Based on the nationwide local life information infrastructure, Meituan also launched the AI search product “Ask Xiao Tuan” during the Spring Festival this year.

When asked about expectations for company managers, Wang Xing said: “I want to make it more concrete. We should all work to reduce ‘dengwei’ (formal or superficial politeness), starting with me. For example, everyone is used to calling me ‘Xing Ge’ (Brother Xing). I think that’s a clear example of ‘dengwei,’ although it actually started in 1997.”

It is understood that “Xing Ge” is an internal nickname for Wang Xing at Meituan, originating from his school days. Wang Xing explained the origin of the nickname: “Because I shared a dorm with Lao Wang (co-founder of Meituan, Wang Huiwen). There are two Wangs in the dorm, and he is a few months older than me. So, since 1997 when I started school, he’s Lao Wang, and I’m Xing Ge. It just continued like that.”

Wang Xing said, “Therefore, I have a very specific proposal: I hope everyone in the company will call each other by their real names, and no longer call me ‘Xing Ge.’ Starting from this moment, don’t call me Xing Ge anymore—just call me Wang Xing. I don’t have an English name. Although I studied in the U.S., I don’t have an English name either. Let’s start with ourselves and embrace new things and trends.”