In the world of cryptocurrency and blockchain, we are accustomed to technology transforming financial markets. But right now, I am observing an equally interesting trend: artificial intelligence is beginning to transform everyday life, and often the drivers of these changes are very young developers. A striking example is 13-year-old Zhu Shuhan from Shanghai, who created the app Zai Chang (translated as "On the Spot") to monitor homework completion. The project turned out to be not just an experiment, but a commercially successful product: in three days, it generated ¥18,295 (approximately $2,700) in revenue from 86 orders.
How Zai Chang works
The service uses a computer or smartphone camera to track a child's behavior during study sessions. The system detects when a student gets distracted, leaves their workspace, or starts using their phone. At that moment, a "virtual parent" appears on the screen—a digital avatar created from a photo of the mother or father—which gently reminds the child to return to their studies. Upon completion of the session, the app generates a detailed report on attention levels.
It is important to note that Zhu emphasizes privacy: images are sent to the cloud for analysis but are deleted after processing, and no continuous video recording is conducted. This is a sound approach from a data security perspective, which is especially relevant in the context of growing regulatory requirements for AI solutions.
An idea born from personal experience
The impetus for the development came from Zhu herself: her parents work a lot, and the girl often did homework on her own, admitting that during those moments she got distracted by her phone. A survey of classmates confirmed that the problem is widespread. The first tester was her younger brother, who was preparing to enter elementary school.
Initially, the app included an "angry mom" feature and sent parents notifications about inattention. However, Zhu abandoned these options, explaining: "I don't like tattling. I want Zai Chang to be gentler and leave the child some space." This is a mature decision that, in my view, significantly increases user loyalty.
Technology without traditional coding
Notably, Zhu has almost no command of traditional programming. She became acquainted with AI about a year ago and studied the technology independently, using educational websites and chatbots. When developing Zai Chang, she described tasks to a large language model in plain language, and the AI generated the code and helped build the logic. The girl tested the features and fixed errors manually. This is a clear demonstration of how generative AI democratizes development, opening doors for innovators without a formal technical background.
Success at Markethon and future plans
Zhu completed the working version just one day before the Markethon competition in Hangzhou (August 21-23), where 59 teams participated and results were evaluated based on real sales. Despite technical glitches during the first public demonstration, the project took third place. In addition to the ¥18,295 in revenue, the schoolgirl received ¥5,000 (~$740) in prize money. Annual access was sold for ¥99 (~$15), and lifetime access for ¥199 (~$30). More than 60 orders came in online, and Zhu's mother helped with promotion through live streams on social media.
After the event, Zhu continues to develop the service: she analyzes statistics daily through the admin panel and collects feedback on WeChat. This case fits into a broader context: in April, China launched a national plan to integrate AI into education, covering schools and universities. Zhu's project is a vivid example of how young talents can not only consume technology but also create commercially viable products.
My analysis: The success of Zai Chang shows that the market for educational AI solutions in China is growing rapidly, and demand for personalized attention-monitoring tools will intensify. However, the key challenge for such projects is scaling while maintaining trust in data processing. If Zhu manages to address this issue, she has every chance of turning a school experiment into a sustainable business.