The sound of firecrackers during the Spring Festival has not yet begun, but the tension between internet giants has already spread in the cloud. In 2026, the traditional "red envelope war" is undergoing a historic core transformation—from simple digital fluctuations to a full-scene AI arms race. This is no longer just a gamble on traffic, but a turning point where AI applications are accelerating and permeating into the capillaries of national life.

To complete a technological "parade" during the peak traffic period at the end of the year, Baidu and Tencent, two long-time rivals, have independently taken out large checks. Baidu first unveiled "Wenxin Assistant," investing 500 million yuan in users, with a maximum cash red envelope of 10,000 yuan not only as an incentive but also as a pledge to guide users to deeply experience AI interaction. At the same time, the CCTV Spring Festival Gala stage will become Baidu's AI practical battlefield. Meanwhile, Tencent has planned to launch a 1 billion yuan cash red envelope campaign starting February 1st, aiming to deeply bind social momentum with AI applications through high-value single red envelopes.

Behind this traffic carnival is the intensive monetization of AI hard power. China Securities pointed out that domestic AI applications are now experiencing a breakthrough turning point, with major companies solidifying their domestic positions while beginning to layout global markets. This is not baseless—practical data has already given the most powerful feedback: MyLife Health saw its related revenue surge by over 70% in just three quarters in 2025 through AI empowerment, generating 250 million yuan in revenue. As a marketing leader, Blue Focus's BlueAI platform has demonstrated astonishing throughput—API call volume exceeded 600 billion times and successfully cultivated 136 AI agents (intelligent entities) with unique capabilities.

From the numerical competition of red envelope amounts to the scenario-based confrontation of AI agents, the Spring Festival script of internet giants has been completely rewritten. This is not just a festival carnival, but the dawn moment when AI technology truly moves from laboratories to households. On this New Year's Eve, what's more worth paying attention to than how much money you grabbed is how much the AI that keeps you company during the New Year's Eve has evolved.