For young innovators across China, AI isn't just a buzzword — it's the foundation for a smarter, more inclusive future, Meng Wenjie reports.

Gao Derun started a peer-to-peer coding forum at Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications (BUPT) in 2022 to help classmates troubleshoot programming problems — especially those that couldn't be resolved in crowded classrooms. But when ChatGPT came out later that year, he saw a chance to take his idea even further.

In 2023, Gao, a 21-year-old student majoring in telecommunications engineering and management, and his team launched MashOn, an AI-powered tutoring system that guides students through coding challenges step by step.

What sets MashOn apart is its heuristic approach: students go through five rounds of guided questions designed to deepen understanding and encourage independent thinking. "It doesn't just give you the answer — it helps you work through the problem," Gao explained.

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The platform was first adopted at BUPT and quickly gained traction. By February this year, MashOn had expanded to over 500 universities across China and now supports more than 200 subjects beyond programming.

As the platform evolved, Gao and his colleagues realized that different subjects and teaching styles required more adaptable tools. To meet this need, they introduced TruFar in 2024 — an open-agent platform that allows both students and teachers to easily create and deploy tailored teaching applications.

"Riding the wave of new technology — and even helping shape it — is an exciting challenge for young people," Gao said. His team has since grown to around 20 members, all in their early 20s.

This ability to spot and act on emerging trends is a defining trait of Gen Z AI entrepreneurs. From the release of ChatGPT to the global impact of DeepSeek in 2025, a wave of innovation has fueled a boom in AI startups across China.

Among these trailblazers is 24-year-old Yan He, founder and CEO of CoreSpeed, an AI agent service company. After working on various AI products, Yan launched CoreSpeed this year to focus on building AI agent infrastructure from the ground up.

One of CoreSpeed's standout products is DeckSpeed, an AI agent designed to simplify the creation of business presentations. It helps users organize ideas into slides and integrates with other tools to turn presentations into podcasts, animations, and more.

"Our goal is to let users focus on their ideas instead of wasting time on repetitive tasks," Yan explained.

On May 11, DeckSpeed ranked No 1 on Product Hunt, a global platform that highlights innovative startups and tech products.

Yan believes that in today's AI-driven world, technical skills are no longer the key advantage for tech entrepreneurs. "What matters more now are vision, adaptability, and execution — AI can handle much of the rest," he said.

Creative for all

Beyond productivity tools, AI is also making waves among content creators. Zhang Guodong, 28, is the CTO of ELSER, an AI-generated content (AIGC) company founded in 2024 that specializes in short-form anime dramas.

"We use AI to support people's pursuit of beauty," Zhang said, describing his team's guiding philosophy.

ELSER aims to make high-quality animation creation accessible to both amateurs and professionals. "Great ideas deserve to shine, no matter your technical background," he added.

Zhang has noticed a growing number of everyday creators embracing AI tools, which he believes are helping to "level the creative playing field".

"We want everyone to have the chance to express themselves and appreciate beauty. Our hope is that the stories of ordinary people can reach a wide audience," Zhang said.

In addition to providing animation creation tools, ELSER has built a community that currently mainly features the team's original works — now sold in over 10 countries worldwide.

As AI tools become more widely adopted, issues around copyright are starting to emerge. "AI models are trained on massive datasets, which may unintentionally include works created by others," said Wu Jiexi, CEO of FilmAction, a company founded in 2023 that enables users to make their own films with AI.

To address these concerns, Wu's team has put in place risk control and content review systems to ensure that all AI-generated material meets ethical and legal standards.

"I'm optimistic," Wu said. "As AI continues to evolve, I believe policymakers and experts will develop clearer and more effective regulations to guide its ethical use."

She also pointed out that film festivals are now introducing dedicated AIGC categories, giving this new form of creative work broader recognition.

Collaborative future

The question of whether AI can replace humans — once a common theme in science fiction — is now a real and pressing issue as AI technology advances.

"I think it's too early to say that AI can fully replace humans, but it has certainly become a powerful tool in the film industry," said Wu. "Human expertise is still essential, especially since poorly trained AI-generated work is often easy to recognize."

Zhang shared a similar view. Although the ELSER team initially focused on hitting technical milestones, they soon realized that the true value of their work lay in its ability to connect with people.

As a result, they gave more creative freedom to team members with strong aesthetic sensibilities, ultimately striking a balance between technology and art.

"Today, it's not just about mastering the technical side, but about making thoughtful aesthetic judgments," Zhang said.

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Yang Feifan, 21, a member of the TruFar team, observed that when promoting their AI products in schools, the most common concern among teachers was whether AI would replace human educators.

"But once they tried it, they realized AI could handle repetitive tasks, freeing up teachers to focus on real teaching," she said.

"Teachers will continue to play a crucial role in education — AI is not their competitor, but their assistant."

Yang added that her team is also actively involved in public service, promoting AI education in Beijing, Guizhou, and, starting this year, in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. Their goal is to raise awareness about AI among students from primary school to vocational school.

"We want students to see themselves not just as users of AI, but as creators in the AI era," she said.

"Through our public welfare efforts, we hope to bring the benefits of AI to classrooms in even the most remote areas."

Contact the writer at mengwenjie@i21st.cn