The Gen Z edge in the AI era
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.
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.
