AILiangzhu’s offbeat AI scene: astrology, whimsical apps and “Crazy Thursday”
A New Yorker contributor describes builders on Hangzhou’s edge using AI for fortune-telling, mental well-being and creativity—while rejecting the “996 grind.”
TLDR
Describing a May 2026 visit to Liangzhu, a New Yorker contributor offers a ground-level counterpoint to the U.S.–China AI-race story. The writer met builders making whimsical AI apps, some of whom organize their lives around bazi astrology. They gather on “Crazy Thursday” to code with AI, and cheap rent gives them room to host friends. The account focuses on people using AI to shape their own futures rather than model capabilities or policy.
