Chinese social media platforms WeChat and Douyin have taken action against influencers who capitalized on people’s anxiety about artificial intelligence (AI) by selling subpar courses. The backlash began when students criticized the lack of substance in the courses, exposing the misleading educational promises made by these influencers.
One prominent figure, Li Yizhou, a former entrepreneur turned startup mentor, profited immensely from selling AI-related courses despite having no AI background. His courses, priced at $27.50 for the basic package and significantly higher for the advanced offering, contained minimal content and superficial discussions on AI tools. Li’s courses, sold over 250,000 times last year, could have generated revenue exceeding $6 million.
Li is not alone in exploiting societal fears about AI. Influencers like “Teacher He” and Zhang Shitong also jumped on the bandwagon, offering similar courses at comparable prices. Apart from concerns about the courses’ quality, customers faced challenges in obtaining refunds, with some being denied refunds if they requested them more than a week after purchase. Additionally, Li faced accusations of profiting from appropriated free user-contributed content.
In response to the complaints and criticisms, Chinese social media platforms have taken action. All classes by Li and other AI influencers have been removed from the platforms, and the influencers, including Li, have gone silent on their social media channels since the suspension in late February. The platforms’ actions signal a shift towards curbing misleading and inadequate content, putting a check on influencers who exploit public concerns for profit.
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