artificial intelligence

artificial-intelligence

Young Chinese Are Asking AI for Fashion Advice, and Going Viral

Timely reports on issues and events from across China. Drawing on a vast range of sources, these succinct articles provide insights into the significance of each issue in a wider context.

NEWS

Users are asking the Doubao chatbot for outfit advice in real time, then filming themselves following its bizarre suggestions.

Li Xin

China’s DeepRare AI Aims to Speed Rare Disease Diagnosis

A new study published in Nature found that the system provides traceable diagnostic reasoning and improves accuracy without relying on genetic data.

Fan Yiying

Viral Deepfake Demo Prompts ByteDance to Limit New AI Video Tool

A popular tech influencer and content creator described the video generation tool as ‘terrifying.’

He Qitong

‘Better Than Gold’: China’s Traders Cash in as Memory Chip Prices Soar

Articles that cut to the core of contemporary China. In-depth, informed, and carefully crafted, every piece is carried by the voices of the story’s participants.

FEATURES

AI demand is tightening memory supply and driving sharp price swings, creating windfalls for traders while forcing China’s tech firms into an increasingly volatile market.

Chen Yiru

‘So Tired I Want to Cry’: China’s AI Subsidy War Swamps Shops

AI-driven Chinese New Year giveaways triggered a surge of instant drink orders, leaving shops and delivery riders scrambling to keep up.

AI Developer Not Liable for Hallucination Errors: Chinese Court

The decision finds developers are not automatically responsible for AI hallucinations unless users can show fault and harm.

China Drafts Rules to Regulate AI ‘Boyfriends’ and ‘Girlfriends’

The proposal would require platforms to monitor suicide risk, protect minors, restrict harmful content, and trigger human intervention in cases of distress.

Jiang Xinyi

For China’s AI Industry, 2025 Was Just the Beginning

Contributions from individuals with unique perspectives to share. Hear from everyone, from experts and commentators to those whose voices are often marginalized.

VOICES & OPINION

A year that began with DeepSeek’s surprise launch has since only shown more convincingly that Chinese AI is forging a path of impressive innovation.

Zhou Zhuoran

Inside China’s Robot Training Factory: Where Humanoids Learn to Work

Visual stories that get up close and personal with contemporary China. A mix of short videos, documentaries, photography, and data visualization.

MULTIMEDIA

Lü Xiao

Wu Huiyuan 

AI Isn’t Always Helping Chinese Office Workers Either

Introducing AI into the workplace is all about chasing efficiency. But the ways in which AI affects work — for better and worse — show that efficiency isn’t such a simple concept.

Chen Changwen

How AI Allows Us to Talk With Ancient Chinese People

AI software has made it possible to consistently analyze thousands of historical texts, allowing scientists to carefully map how people’s viewpoints changed between centuries and across regions.

Chen Yuqi

AI to Health Care: Takeaways From Shanghai’s Top Think Tank

The mayor’s business advisory council met to discuss ways the city can become more globally competitive, with attending experts suggesting it capitalize on AI and develop its health care system.

From Blind Boxes to AI Friends, Young Chinese Buy to Feel Better

A new report by Chinese social platform Soul and the Shanghai Youth Research Center reveals emotional value is now a key driver of consumer behavior.

AI, Mini-Games, Short Dramas Drive Growth at China’s Kuaishou

The short-video platform’s latest results show both user demand and creator income continuing to grow.

China’s Latest Conservation Weapon Is a Robot Antelope

Researchers hope that the furry, remote-controlled quadruped will help them collect first-hand data about migration routes and birthing behaviors of Tibetan antelope on the remote Qinghai-Xizang Plateau.

Robots Run, Dance, and Clean in World’s First Humanoid Games

More than 500 robots from 16 countries will compete in the inaugural tournament, with events ranging from Olympic-style sports to real-world tasks like hotel cleaning and medical sorting.

‘Show 30% Anger’: Actor Loses the Plot Over AI Direction

Translations, cross-publications, and collaborative projects from Sixth Tone’s external partners. 

SIXTH TONE ×

As AI takes over China’s film and TV business, performers are struggling to work within its strict creative parameters — or even make sense of its scripts.

Oscar Wu

“No”: The Magic Word in a Viral Chinese AI Remake of Snow White

A dark AI‑crafted retelling of the Disney classic by Beijing-based screenwriter Wen Jing has captivated millions on social media, sparking debate over women’s roles in fairy tales and modern society.

As AI Booms, China Proposes Global Governance Body for Ethical Oversight

At the World AI Conference, experts urged stronger safeguards and inclusive oversight to manage AI’s rapid expansion — warning that without action, we may unwittingly fall prey to its potential.

“Teacher, My Bot Has No Girl”: Inside an AI Class for China’s Elderly

As AI becomes a part of everyday life in China, seniors are struggling to keep up. One grassroots course is trying to close the gap.