This summer, AI study camps have become the hottest trend among Chinese parents. Some charge nearly 30,000 yuan ($4,200) to give children under 10 CEO and CTO badges and have them memorize scripts for startup pitches. Other programs promise that kids can found their own AI company in six days.
The camps tap into a primal parental fear: other people's kids are already learning AI, building products, even raising funding — will my child be left behind? The programs aren't selling education; they're selling a psychological reassurance coupon that says "your child is not falling behind."
But an investigation by China News Weekly found that many camps have surprisingly little actual AI content. Supposed trips to big tech companies or universities are often just tours, photo ops, and check-ins. When children can't answer technical questions, the instructors answer for them. One "large model bootcamp" that costs 15,000 yuan ($2,100) may end up only teaching kids how to use AI to make PowerPoint slides and copywriting.
Instructor quality is just as spotty. Some teachers only receive a few days of training and have no background in AI. One industry insider said that "over 90% of the market is a scam."
Real AI education requires sustained training, qualified instructors, and a complete curriculum. Dressing up children as "8-year-old product managers" or "10-year-old CEOs" is more about putting on a show for parents than actually teaching technology. What parents get for their thousands of yuan is likely a carefully produced children's entrepreneurship performance.