A 13-Year-Old Girl Earns 3.7 Million Won in 3 Days with an Amazing Idea: "My Parents Don't Have Time to Be with Me..."

Developed a Virtual Parent Study Management App with AI

"Needed Something to Play the Role of a Digital Parent"

Completed in Just 3–4 Days Without Programming Knowledge

A 13-year-old girl from China, who had no prior programming experience, developed an app using artificial intelligence (AI) and achieved sales of 18,000 yuan (about 1.8 million won) in just three days.

A Virtual Parent App Created by AI... 90 Orders in 3 Days

AI-generated image

According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) on August 31, Zhu Shuhan, a second-year middle school student from Shanghai, participated in the National AI Marketing Competition held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, from August 21 to 23 and placed third.

More than 50 participants took part in this competition. The ranking was determined solely by the sales performance of the AI-based app during the competition period, with no separate judges or scorecards. Zhu Shuhan received about 90 orders for her self-developed app, generating total sales of 18,000 yuan, and also received a prize of 5,000 yuan (approximately 500,000 won) awarded to the third-place winner.

The app Zhu Shuhan developed is called 'Zai Chang,' a type of virtual parent service that supervises a child's study in place of their parents. When users register their own photos in the app, a virtual parent appears on the screen. If the camera detects that the child is using a cell phone or leaving their seat, the virtual parent gives a verbal warning. After studying is finished, the app generates a report showing the child's level of focus.

Explained Idea to AI, Code Instantly Produced

Zhu Shuhan explained that she got the idea for the app from her own experience. She said, "My parents were too busy to be with me while I studied," and added, "That's why I often couldn't concentrate on my homework and would secretly use my mobile phone." She continued, "Many of my classmates also faced similar challenges, so I wanted to create something that could act as a digital parent."

She first encountered AI last year and had little programming knowledge. During the app development process, she utilized AI to generate the necessary code, and when faced with specific technical issues, she asked questions using AI programming tools. It took around three to four days to design the app and implement its core functions.

Zhu Shuhan said, "Through this app development experience, I realized that if you have a good idea, AI can turn it into reality." One of her early users was her younger brother, who is in the first grade of elementary school. According to Zhu Shuhan, her brother became more motivated to study after using the app.

She is also considering lowering the price of the app so more people can use it. She said, "If many people are willing to pay for this app, I will continue developing it."

After the app became known, there was praise online for Zhu Shuhan's idea and business sense. One netizen commented, "Her creative idea and ability to leverage AI are truly remarkable," while another said, "She has excellent business acumen. This app perfectly meets the needs of parents."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.