This project represents one of the company’s most significant steps into AI to date.
issued Wednesday, June 17, 2026 · 05:41 PM
[SINGAPORE] Sea is rolling out its generative AI chatbot across the U.S. and beyond, marking its first foray into the competitive U.S. consumer market and accelerating its push for artificial intelligence.
An AI-powered companion chatbot called Migoo, which does not mention Sea ownership on its website and app, is already online and could launch at scale soon, according to people familiar with the matter. The app integrates directly into platforms like Apple’s iMessage and is designed to act as a highly personalized companion that remembers your preferences and habits.
This project represents one of Sea’s most significant steps into AI to date. The company, which operates popular online retailer Shopee and gaming platform Garena, has lagged Asian peers such as Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and Tencent Holdings Ltd. in this space, with its stock price falling more than 40% over the past year.
In the U.S., Sea is targeting the lucrative and highly competitive Gen Z AI market dominated by the likes of OpenAI and ByteDance, the people said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss private plans.
A spokesperson for Sea declined to comment.
Sea Inc. has been undergoing a structural transformation since Chief Executive Officer Forrest Lee declared that doubling its AI could raise its market capitalization to $1 trillion. It joins a growing number of companies like rival Alibaba that are investing in AI to fuel growth as competition in their core businesses intensifies.
Mr. Migu is led by See President Chris Feng, and the executive team includes longtime executive Bingyu Wang, people familiar with the matter said. Migoo’s website is live and the app is available for download, but Sea has not yet publicly claimed ownership of the project.
In the U.S., Migoo operates under Marvelous Technology, a company registered with a known proxy address in Sacramento, according to California’s corporate registry. The U.S. unit has ties to a Singapore entity that counts Mr. Wang as a director, according to the filing.
Sea’s Migoo strategy is similar to the strategy ByteDance used to launch its viral AI homework app Gauth and the one used by Alibaba to introduce its Happy Oyster model. By not disclosing the ultimate parent company from the start, technology companies aim to try new angles and give these projects more freedom to experiment.
Sea’s stock price has languished since September (when it was valued at about $116 billion) as this year’s soaring oil prices dampened consumer confidence and increased operating costs. Investors are now scrutinizing its growth trajectory. Sea has historically embedded AI in small ways such as product recommendations and merchant tools.
In February, the company announced it would work with Alphabet Inc.’s Google to integrate AI across its operations, including developing an AI shopping agent. It has also established a dedicated team to scout new investments in AI as it seeks its next growth engine beyond e-commerce.
Meanwhile, the company’s online retail division, Shopee, is cutting hundreds of developer jobs around the world, representing about 8% of the division’s developer workforce. It’s unclear whether the move is directly tied to Sea’s foray into AI, but it coincides with a growing debate about the technology’s impact on jobs around the world. bloomberg
