Summary of Key Points
In the era of AI, there has been a dramatic divergence in the choices parents in China and the United States make regarding their children's education: wealthy American families (especially those from tech and finance circles) are pulling their children out of traditional prestigious schools, using AI to streamline the learning process and focusing on cultivating skills such as negotiation, sales, and public speaking—abilities that AI cannot replace. Meanwhile, Chinese parents are leveraging AI to enhance their children's test scores, continuing to compete within the framework of traditional exams. The root of this difference lies in the distinct educational ecosystems in the two countries. In China, the path to success is still defined by standardized tests, leaving ordinary families with no other option but to rely on rote practice. American elites, however, have the means to escape the old system early and invest in skills that will be valuable in the AI-driven future. Behind both approaches lies a common concern about how AI will reshape the workplace, as well as the belief that childhood is a resource that can be optimized.
1. The Same AI, Different Uses by Parents in China and the US
- American Parents: Using AI to Save Time for Non-AI Replaceable Skills
At Alpha School in San Francisco, the annual tuition fee is 540,000 RMB, but children only spend 2 hours a day using AI for learning (reading, math), with the rest of the time engaged in projects, starting companies, designing products, and giving public speeches. Jan, the president of a hedge fund, transferred his son to Forge Prep to teach him skills like negotiation and sales—abilities he acquired himself only in his twenties. The idea is that while AI can quickly impart knowledge, it should be used to develop skills that AI cannot replace.
- Chinese Parents: Using AI as an Accelerator for Rote Practice
On weekends, children attend programming classes or AI innovation camps, while parents use their phones outside. The market for learning devices has doubled in three years (from 25.2 billion RMB in 2020 to 51.2 billion RMB in 2023). The money previously spent on subject-based tutoring has shifted towards quality education with AI components (e.g., “score improvement + AI”). Chinese parents use AI to maximize the efficiency of rote practice, aiming to gain a slight advantage in the standardized exams.
- Why the Difference?
In China, success is determined by exams, which compress 12 years of development into a single score. Rote practice helps children meet these standards, but AI excels at tasks that are repetitive and standardized. By using AI, Chinese parents may be reinforcing aspects of their children's personalities that could make them more replaceable in the future.
2. Why Are Traditional Education Winners Leaving First?
Those who once succeeded through traditional education (prestigious schools, exams, resume competitions) are now helping their children leave this system.
- Who Is Leaving?
Parents at Alpha School are often from finance and tech industries (e.g., Bill Ackman, founder of Pershing Square). Forge Prep receives 600 applications for only 34 spots, and its parents are either wealthy or influential. They are not education failures but the biggest winners, as they understand the flaws in the old system and recognize the impact of AI.
- Where Are They Going?
New schools no longer refer to teachers as such but as “guides.” Knowledge is delivered by AI, while humans focus on helping children develop soft skills. Forge Prep even promises to invest $200,000 in graduates’ startups, turning elementary and middle schools into mini-incubators.
- The Core Logic: The Profit from Knowledge Is Over
In the past, success came from having information that others didn’t (e.g., memorizing formulas). Now, AI can provide doctoral-level answers in seconds, making knowledge less valuable. Thus, the wealthy no longer pay for knowledge but for skills like courage in negotiation, resilience in sales, and the ability to remain calm in public.
3. The Helplessness of Chinese Parents: Rote Practice as the Only Option
It’s not that Chinese parents don’t see the threat posed by AI; they simply have no other choice.
- The Limited Path to Success
Exams like the high school entrance exam and college entrance exam determine success, with scores being the sole criterion. Abandoning this path means losing the chance to compete.
- A Proven Strategy
Many parents themselves succeeded through rote practice, and scores have indeed changed their lives. Forging them to abandon this proven method and bet on a new system without clear outcomes is like making a leap of faith.
- Rote Practice as the Cheapest Option
Raising a child to university in China costs around 680,000 RMB, with education expenses accounting for more than half of low-income families’ budgets. Rote practice is the only “sure investment” they can afford, hoping it will secure them a place in the future through exams.
4. The Shift in Educational Competition
The focus has shifted from who can acquire the most knowledge (more exercises, famous teachers, premium schools) to who can leave the old system first.
- American Parents’ New Bet
They invest in skills like initiative and self-management, such as those taught at Alpha School, which tracks children’s attention and adjusts courses accordingly. Forge Prep prohibits phones to encourage creativity.
- Chinese Parents’ Old Habits
Summer classes often claim to use AI, but many are just rebranded traditional tutoring programs. Parents should ask if the skills taught will be valuable in 2040 or if they’re just enhanced versions of old techniques.
- The Competition Never Stops; It Just Changes
As capital becomes more widespread, the focus shifts to harder-to-replicate assets. After literacy became a standard, diplomas became less important; now, it’s about who can leave the old system first—a process that requires money, resources, and courage.
5. A Common Goal: Optimizing Childhood
Both China and the US see childhood as a resource to be improved, though with different objectives.
- America: Focusing on Initiative
Schools like Alpha School track children’s behavior and adjust their curriculum to foster initiative and adaptability for the future.
- China: Focusing on Scores
Cameras in classrooms and data analysis from learning devices help children meet exam standards.
- Forgetting the Original Meaning of “School”
The word “school” comes from Greek “scholē,” meaning leisure. In ancient Greece, learning was seen as a pleasure after escaping the pressures of daily life. Today, schools have become the busiest places during childhood. Both parents in China and the US are optimizing their children’s experiences, quantifying even moments of distraction.
Final Reminder for Parents
In the AI era, what truly matters is not knowledge but the abilities that make us human. Before enrolling your child in a program, ask yourself: Can AI do what this course teaches? If it can, it might be a waste of time. Skills like negotiation, creativity, and empathy are worth investing in, as AI will handle routine tasks, but only humans can perform human-centered activities.