Woman creates AI "professor" to lecture her parents about science
A young Chinese woman has created an AI persona, Mr. Zhao, a retired professor, to lecture her parents on modern scientific values.
Elderly people sit and rest in Chongqing, China. Image by Cheng Xin/Getty Images
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A young Chinese woman has created an AI persona, Mr. Zhao, a retired professor, to lecture her parents on modern scientific values.
In the profile, the fictional Mr. Zhao is described as a Chongqing-based retired professor with decades of expertise in parent–child dynamics. According to the account, Zhao’s credentials include over a dozen SCI-indexed publications, overseas study in Singapore, and recognition from major award programs.
On day one, 18 articles were published on the account, including “Why do excellent parents never push their children to marry?” and “Job-searching children fear their parents’ blind opinions the most.”
Mr. Zhao’s profile boasts impressive, but entirely fabricated achievements, including 10 SCI (Science Citation Index) papers and national awards. The creator drafts topics herself, then lets AI polish them into a professional tone that parents would trust.
The creator, nicknamed "shicaomeiweidemao," said she created the account because she was tired of the “toxic chicken soup” advice her parents kept forwarding, a Chinese internet term for pseudo-motivational life lessons, according to the South China Morning Post.
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Bridging generational gaps
Mr. Zhao’s AI lectures allow youth to communicate with parents without triggering conflict, gently guiding them toward healthier habits. Lectures tackle issues like avoiding online scams, rejecting superstitions, and questioning rigid career expectations.
One user shared that after reading an article, her father promised to “try and quit smoking,” showing tangible, real-life impact.
“I believe the parents who would change their mind because of these articles are still quite open-minded,” praised another fan.
The AI account publishes content rapidly, averaging nearly five articles a day, ensuring consistent exposure to parents.
Other novel topic suggestions for Mr. Zhao include teaching parents not to assume daughters should learn to cook or that civil service is the only good career open to them.
