ASUS has officially launched its exclusive WorkBuddy-equipped PC, becoming the first hardware vendor to ship a computer with a dedicated version of Tencent's office agent. Unlike users who download WorkBuddy themselves, this product integrates the agent more deeply with local models, Skills, and PC hardware capabilities.
This is not the first time ASUS has incorporated an office agent into its AI PC lineup. In June, ASUS commercial PCs partnered with Baidu Intelligent Cloud to introduce the "ASUS × Baidu DuMate AI Solution," which also emphasized the combination of on-device computing power with agent capabilities.
Meanwhile, other hardware makers such as Honor, Lenovo, and Xiaomi are extending their own agent technologies to PCs. Honor has pre-installed YOYO Claw on its MagicBook series, Lenovo continues to upgrade its Tianxi Claw, and Xiaomi has brought the "Expert Mode" of Super Xiaoai 2.0 to its PCs.
As the integration of on-device and cloud computing matures, embedding an agent that can directly handle files, invoke tools, and even execute tasks inside a PC is becoming a new selling point for AI PCs. Whether the built-in agent comes from a third party or is developed by the hardware maker itself remains an open question. The path forward may ultimately be determined by whoever can first establish a high-frequency, broadly adopted "national-level agent."
When the office agent becomes a selling point, the key differences between ASUS's dedicated WorkBuddy PC and a user downloading WorkBuddy themselves come down to two main aspects: first, locally adapted Skills specifically tuned for Intel platforms, and second, deeper coordination between local and cloud models.
Intel has already enabled 15 local Skills on the ASUS exclusive WorkBuddy device. On ASUS's top-tier ProArt series powered by third-generation Intel Core Ultra processors, local models can be invoked as well. The three parties have adapted and optimized 26 high-frequency WorkBuddy expert agents for local use based on the 35B-A3B local model.
In practice, certain tasks like processing local files can be completed directly on the PC, while complex reasoning, long-chain tasks, or requests requiring real-time information are routed to the cloud. WorkBuddy dynamically allocates tasks between the two depending on the situation.
Ma Yingkui, Tencent Cloud's head of intelligent manufacturing solutions for East China, told us that WorkBuddy lets users flexibly choose from multiple models and decide whether to process tasks locally or in the cloud. If local processing results are unsatisfactory, users can switch to cloud-based execution. Ma further noted that users no longer need to figure out which model their PC should run to maximize performance. Handling some tasks locally also reduces cloud resource consumption, while sensitive materials such as contracts and financial documents that users prefer not to upload can stay on the device.
The ASUS WorkBuddy exclusive edition targets two main groups: small and medium-sized enterprises and entrepreneurs without dedicated AI teams who want to quickly adopt an agent, and "super individuals" who frequently use AI, such as content creators managing writing, video generation, editing, and multi-platform publishing on their own.
For PC makers like ASUS, integrating an office agent also gives AI PCs a fresh appeal. WorkBuddy is not the first office agent ASUS has partnered with this year. In June, ASUS commercial PCs and Baidu Intelligent Cloud unveiled the "ASUS × Baidu DuMate AI Solution," which similarly leverages the on-device computing power of ASUS commercial AI PCs combined with DuMate's agent capabilities, focusing on enterprise office scenarios.
This indicates that until a clear winner emerges among office agents, PC makers see little reason to back only one. Rather than competing solely on chip specifications, those who can turn existing local computing power into features users will actually adopt, or even into a reason to upgrade their machines, are more likely to earn deeper adaptation resources from PC makers.
For Tencent, however, ASUS represents more of a pilot project. In early September, the WorkBuddy open platform launched, initially bringing in over 100 ecosystem partners and opening its capabilities to smart hardware, industry applications, and developers. At that time, Liu Yi, Tencent Cloud's vice president and head of CodeBuddy & WorkBuddy, set the goal of turning WorkBuddy into an "operating system for the agent era," rather than merely a stronger tool. Its hardware partnerships currently span more than ten product categories including PCs, tablets, smart glasses, and earbuds, covering over 30 brands.
To achieve that goal, offering just one ASUS WorkBuddy exclusive PC is far from sufficient. Whether Tencent will join forces with additional PC makers to launch more dedicated WorkBuddy devices is drawing increasing attention.
Self-built vs. third-party: For a PC market that has been stagnant for some time, placing a genuinely functional agent inside a computer could indeed create a new product narrative. ASUS has chosen to collaborate with third-party agents like WorkBuddy and Baidu DuMate. In contrast, PC makers that also possess hardware, operating system, and AI capabilities tend to extend their own agents directly to their devices.
Honor pre-installed its self-developed YOYO Claw on the MagicBook Pro series 2026, emphasizing automated deployment and out-of-the-box usability. It can autonomously plan, schedule, and execute tasks, integrating with various Skills for office work, learning, and self-media. The subsequent MagicBook 14 and MagicBook 16 2026 models also list the YOYO AI agent as a primary selling point.
Lenovo moved even earlier. In March, Lenovo launched Tianxi AI Claw, highlighting "zero-cost deployment and zero-barrier usage," followed in May by Tianxi AI 4.0, which upgraded the core intelligent agent to Tianxi Claw and further reinforced "device-edge-cloud" synergy. According to Lenovo's plans, complex tasks can be distributed across different computing resources while supporting local large model operation.
Xiaomi is also pushing its agent capabilities onto PCs. With the release of HyperOS 4, Super Xiaoai 2.0 added an "Expert Mode" capable of deep research, PPT creation, and webpage building, initially adapted for devices like the Xiaomi Book Pro 14 and REDMI Book Pro 16 2026.
The approaches differ, but the underlying reasoning is similar. For PC makers, directly handing users an agent that can access files, software, and models makes the product's value proposition easier to establish. The maturation of on-device and cloud integration also lowers the barrier to entry. An agent doesn't need to pack all capabilities locally. Tasks involving privacy or simple file processing can be prioritized on-device, while requests requiring larger models or real-time information can tap into the cloud.
This means that if an agent can be delivered inside a PC at relatively manageable hardware and cloud costs, ready to use upon startup and capable of genuinely completing part of a user's workload, it could indeed become the industry's next major selling point. As for whether that agent comes from a third party, is built by the hardware maker itself, or combines both approaches, no answer exists yet. Which path becomes the preferred choice for more manufacturers will likely hinge on which agent can establish stable, habitual usage patterns among users.
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