Summary of Key Points
This article discusses the phenomenon where young people are keen on AI fortune-telling and the surge in the "esoteric economy," suggesting that it is not a revival of feudal superstition, but rather a result of increased social uncertainty leading to emotional needs and a desire to shift decision-making responsibilities. Young people face high costs associated with their choices (for example, choosing the wrong major or industry can lead to significant mistakes), and they seek low-cost ways (such as AI fortune-telling, burning incense, buying lottery tickets) to gain emotional comfort and offload the pressure of making decisions. Essentially, they are paying for a sense of "emotion" and hope in order to cope with an uncertain life.
Detailed Analysis
1. Young people's interest in esoteric practices is not genuine superstition, but rather instrumental consumption
Young people use AI fortune-telling in a very practical manner: they feed the same birth date information into three different models and select the prediction they prefer; if the result isn't satisfactory, they simply dismiss it as "human error" and move on. This is completely different from traditional superstition, where people regard divine warnings with reverence and accept them without question. For young people, fortune-telling is more like a commodity—they are paying to feel better, not to submit to some authority. It's similar to shopping on Taobao—they keep what suits them and discard what doesn't; the goal is to use these tools to manage their emotions, not to re-establish faith.
2. The rise of esoteric practices is actually a manifestation of the "emotion economy"
Esoteric practices are not standing alone; they are part of a broader trend that includes the pet economy, merchandise related to popular culture (such as "Gu Zi" products), and AI companions. What young people buy is not so much accuracy as comfort. For example, spending 0.5 yuan on an "AI version of Einstein's brain" isn't about believing it will boost intelligence, but rather about finding a way to relieve anxiety. When an AI fortune-teller predicts good luck for the next three months, they do so because it provides a sense of hope and reassurance. The emotion economy has reached a scale of 2.3 trillion in 2024, with esoteric practices being just one facet of this trend.
3. Why do people choose to "outsource decision-making?"
In the past, people didn't have to make many decisions on their own: jobs were assigned for them, partners were matched by others, and housing was provided by the state, allowing for more flexibility in case of mistakes. Today, however, the consequences of poor choices are much more severe. Choosing the wrong major could mean a disappearing industry in four years, getting laid off at 35, or losing all savings. With every decision requiring personal commitment, the pressure is overwhelming, leading people to seek scapegoats. AI fortune-telling offers the cheapest way to shift this responsibility—if something goes wrong, they can blame "bad luck" rather than themselves.
4. Why have AI fortune-tellers surpassed traditional masters?
AI fortune-telling is more cost-effective and provides a better user experience. Traditional methods (such as consulting with offline fortune-tellers or psychologists) are expensive and time-consuming. AI services, on the other hand, are almost free, available 24/7, and often provide comforting statements that sound relatable to anyone (a phenomenon known in psychology as the "Barnum effect"). AI has industrialized this ability to give a sense of accuracy, making it much more efficient than traditional methods.
5. Behind this trend is a lack of social certainty
Statistics reveal a stark reality: the number of graduates is increasing annually (with the class of 2026 expected to reach 12.7 million), and the youth unemployment rate is around 17%. The popularity of postgraduate studies has declined, while the competition for government jobs is fierce (with an application-to-admission ratio of 98:1). People are competing for the few stable options available, such as becoming civil servants. The lottery industry thrives in times of economic uncertainty, as do fortune-telling services. The popularity of esoteric practices reflects the extent of social anxiety—the less certainty there is, the more people turn to these practices for comfort.
Conclusion
Young people rely on AI fortune-telling not because they are "anti-science," but because life is too uncertain. What they need is not answers, but a way to manage their emotions—even if it's just the hope that things will get better in the future. When this demand disappears, it won't be science that has won; it will be because young people become more confident in making their own decisions, with lower costs and greater tolerance for mistakes, no longer needing to rely on third parties to take the blame. In the meantime, the popularity of esoteric practices and AI services will continue—a stark reflection of the challenges we face in modern society.