China’s ‘future Elon Musk’ solves daily problems with AI; vocabulary method draws 20 million views

In a small town in eastern China, a young boy named Yang Xizhe has been making waves with his innovative use of artificial intelligence and programming. Standing at 1.9 meters tall, the 13-year-old school student from Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, has attracted over 500,000 followers on social media platforms. Growing up in a city renowned for its thriving tech ecosystem, Yang considers himself an "AI native." He believes that for his generation, AI is just as essential as air and water.

Last February, Yang's video showcasing his AI-driven method to memorize English vocabulary went viral, garnering 20 million views. He uploaded a vocabulary list on Doubao and crafted prompts to enable the chatbot to generate engaging stories and customized exercises based on the words. Yang's approach to learning has impressed parents and educators alike.

Some viewers reported that their children developed a newfound interest in learning after watching the video, and a teacher expressed an interest in incorporating Yang's method into their upcoming lessons.

This year, Yang transitioned from online learning to hands-on innovation. He participated in several hackathons, time-limited programming competitions where teams collaborate to develop software projects. His first project earned him first place at the Moonshot 48 Hackathon – an AI-powered vision system designed to assist visually impaired individuals in applying makeup.

At HackMIT China 2026, his team received the Best Pitch Award and placed second in their category. Their project, a smart lunchbox equipped with AI vision and sensors, offers personalized dietary suggestions based on users' profiles and meals while allowing parents to monitor their children's eating habits at school.

In April, Yang formed a team of fellow 13-year-olds and competed in RedNote's hackathon championship. Their AI-powered diagnostic and optimization tool for original content creators earned a special award and even attracted a purchase offer of 100,000 yuan (US$15,000) from a company. Reflecting on his journey, Yang shared that his passion for programming began in Primary Two, inspired by The Legend of Zelda. With his father’s guidance, he taught himself Scratch before progressing to C++ and vib coding.

Despite Yang's impressive track record, his parents have modestly downplayed any labels of genius or a future Elon Musk. They have actively educated themselves about AI to keep up with their son's interests. Despite his success, Yang maintains a balanced lifestyle, dedicating three hours each day to programming while striving to maintain above-average grades. He aspires to become a programmer or AI researcher, expressing hope that he can make a significant impact on the world.