Xiaohongshu empowers agents with full AI integration for industry collaboration

Mei O, General Manager of Xiaohongshu's Commercial Channel Division, outlined the strategic direction for the platform's channels in 2026, emphasizing a focus on four key areas: industry deepening, customer management, ecosystem co-construction, and capability accumulation. The core initiative is to transform agents from mere ad placement channels into deeply integrated 'industry operating partners.' Xiaohongshu is expanding its AI capabilities across the entire agent service process, alongside additional incentive support. On the product side, the platform announced the upgrading of commercial products and the development of a complete AI product system, embedding AI throughout the business process, from strategy to execution and review, rather than limiting it to a single ad tool. This shift aligns with the accelerated commercialization of Xiaohongshu. Following brands' renewed recognition of the value of community building, the platform now requires agents to possess industry knowledge and long-term operational capabilities, rather than just scaling up. By opening AI capabilities to agents, Xiaohongshu aims to standardize the 'know-how' threshold through technology, enabling smaller and medium-sized agents to manage more complex industry clients. For agents, the combination of incentives and AI tools is expected to reduce labor and trial-and-error costs, while also raising the bar for operational depth. As the platform sets 'industry operating partner' as the upgrade goal, the competitive focus for agents is shifting from resource-based advantages to service capabilities. Only those who can genuinely penetrate their clients' businesses with AI will be able to survive in this round of channel restructuring.