Over 1 Million Downloads in 4 Days — Ant CTO: Lingguang Aims to Be the "Alipay" of the AGI Era
Lingguang: China’s Year-End AGI Breakthrough
Just 4 days after launch, Lingguang downloads hit 1 million. Two days later, the number doubled to 2 million.
Its growth has outpaced global AI leaders such as ChatGPT, Sora2, and DeepSeek — climbing to 6th place on the App Store China free chart and #1 in the Utilities category.
If we talk about the brightest star in China’s tech scene at year’s end, it is — quite literally — Lingguang (“Divine Light”).
---
Ant Group’s AGI Ambition
When many thought the AI application race was already decided, Ant Group stepped forward, aiming to build the “Alipay” of the AGI era.
After discussions with the team, it’s clear Lingguang’s success was no accident. It is the result of meticulous preparation:
- DeepSeek’s success gave Ant confidence to enter AGI despite fierce competition.
- Inclusivity is at Lingguang’s core — letting everyday users experience AI’s benefits directly.
- The focus is on saving time (efficiency), not killing time (entertainment).
- Lingguang aims to be the benchmark, not to chase others.
- Lingguang and Qianwen are partners, not competitors.
- In the AGI era, opportunity is equal — Lingguang is not “too late.”
---
DeepSeek’s Influence on Lingguang
Lingguang’s creation is closely tied to DeepSeek.
Ant Group CTO He Zhengyu explained: DeepSeek proved that world-class models could be built with minimal resources, inspiring Ant to commit fully to AGI.
Despite confidence, Ant also felt urgency — they needed to move faster.
Key timeline:
- March (after Lunar New Year): Ant began recruiting
- Formation of dedicated Inclusion AI team
- Lingguang development officially began
---
Inclusion AI: Ant’s AGI Backbone
Inclusion AI functions like a project-based task force — similar to Google DeepMind — integrating Research, Engineering, and Product to deliver AI capabilities across all Ant businesses.
This aligns with Ant’s long-standing philosophy of inclusiveness:
- Internet era: Making adoption easy (e.g., QR code payments)
- AGI era: Lingguang aims to be the "Alipay of AI"
---
Product Philosophy: Make Complexity Simple
Lingguang’s core features:
- Lingguang Chat
- Flash Apps
- Lingguang Vision
Design Focus
- Efficiency first — not companionship chat
- Multi-modal key information extraction
- Transition from Markdown output to full code generation
“More, Fast, Good, New” Principles
Lingguang APP lead Cai Wei explains:
- More – Offer rich, comprehensive info
- Fast – Deliver results within seconds
- Good – Accurate info with pleasant reading experience
- New – Rapid updates so events are searchable within hours
---
Lingguang Vision: Toward Embodied Intelligence
Built as a native visual entry point, Lingguang Vision recognizes that the physical world is continuous — AI must understand video streams like humans do.
Strategic approach:
- Strengthen core capabilities
- Fill gaps later
- Focus on user retention through high-value features
- Models & applications developed in parallel
---
Broader Impact
Lingguang’s rise demonstrates AGI products for mass adoption and practical efficiency.
For creators looking to monetize AI content, platforms like AiToEarn官网 enable:
- Global publishing
- Cross-platform monetization
- Integration with major social networks including Douyin, Kwai, WeChat, Bilibili, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, YouTube, Pinterest, and X.
---
Integration Across Ant’s Ecosystem
He Zhengyu confirmed Inclusion AI will integrate into other Ant Group apps:
- Ma Xiaocai
- AQ
> “In future, all Ant ecosystem applications will carry a touch of Lingguang flavor.”
---
Lingguang & Qianwen: Brothers in AGI
Lingguang and Qianwen launched around the same time — purely coincidental according to He Zhengyu.
Why It’s Not Too Late
- AGI’s potential is vast and far from its peak
- History shows latecomers (e.g., Douyin) can dominate
He Zhengyu’s viewpoint:
> In the AGI era, everyone is equal. Small teams can outperform giants.
Ant enters AGI without inherent advantage, but with a consistent inclusive approach.
---
Collaboration Over Competition
Rather than chasing competitors, Lingguang:
- Supports mutual growth with other AGI teams
- Avoids reactive feature duplication
- Focuses resources on meeting real user needs
Example: No rush to launch reasoning models — DeepSeek’s are already excellent.
> “Limited resources should be invested into a grand vision, with everyone working together.”
Ant’s ultimate goal: A flagship AGI-era product, possibly AQ, Ma Xiaocai, or Lingguang — just as Alipay and MyBank defined the mobile internet era.
---
OMT: A Naming Story
Fun fact — Lingguang almost launched as Lingfan (“smart” in Hunan dialect). It was renamed for broader appeal and to match its multimodal nature.
Ant’s AGI family: Bailing, Lingbo, Lingguang.
Will the next app still carry “Ling”? Possibly! (doge)
---
The Future: Vision-Driven AGI
Ant’s collaborative philosophy mirrors broader trends — especially in open-source ecosystems like AiToEarn官网. Such platforms let innovators focus on big-picture goals while seamlessly connecting:
- AI creation
- Publishing
- Analytics
- Model ranking
This is exactly how Ant intends to focus its AGI resources — on building certainty amid uncertainty.
