Workers in Chinese county towns are almost surrounded by AI training courses.
In 2025, the wave of AI has been gaining more and more momentum.
A couple of days ago, Luo Fuli, the so - called "AI genius girl", officially announced her joining Xiaomi, revealing Xiaomi's ambition in the AI field. Meanwhile, Fei - Fei Li, the "godmother of AI", released the first commercial world model, causing a major shock in the gaming industry. Today, GPT - 5.1 has been launched. It has not only become smarter but also more emotionally intelligent.
The protagonists of this AI frenzy are never just tech giants. While ordinary people are still struggling about "whether AI will replace them", a group of people have already ridden on the wave and made a fortune.
Side - hustle workers set up AI - themed stalls after work, turning free AI photo - taking services on platforms into "street - side photo studios".
Some seasoned AI tool users have turned AI - assisted office work into a money - making machine. They can earn money from pictures, copywriting, and PPTs generated by free software. Some AI experts can easily earn over ten thousand yuan a month.
More advanced players have flocked to Huaqiangbei, turning AI into a master key. Any product with AI added can double its price. Some merchants have achieved annual sales of tens of millions by upgrading products with AI.
After the dream of getting rich overnight with AI shattered, young people have discovered the real AI - related money - making businesses.
The first ones to take risks
Have become AI resellers
AI has given birth to a brand - new profession: AI resellers.
Different from the traditional resellers who dealt in sneakers, tickets, and mobile phones, although AI resellers still make money from information gaps, they are regarded as saviors by contemporary office workers and are considered the "best business" in the AI era.
First of all, the cost of being an AI reseller is extremely low, while the profit is quite considerable.
The "shelves" of AI resellers are filled with the "business philosophies" of Internet giants.
Some have created the "Pinduoduo of the AI account world", responsible for organizing group - buying of accounts.
Many office workers want to use the advanced features of AI software but are deterred by the high membership fees. At this time, what AI resellers deal in are accounts. They can recoup the annual membership fee of several hundred yuan by selling it to a few people. The more people in the group - buying, the more they earn.
This way of doing business is not actually new. It has already formed an industrial chain in the gaming industry. When it is tried out in the AI circle, it has become a new business.
In addition, some AI resellers are like product managers. They launch AI office suites for large - scale users. They integrate the access rights of AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Grammarly on one platform or in one account and sell them to heavy AI users, which is both convenient and labor - saving.
The most important thing is that these businesses have almost zero cost for them. Even if the unit price is not high, they can still make a small profit by relying on high sales volume.
Secondly, AI resellers understand human nature well and have both business and good reputation.
Some people are not satisfied with making money by "renting out accounts" but instead make money through "AI services". This kind of business not only has low costs but also low risks.
What they do is simpler. They package and sell pictures, copywriting, videos, and codes generated by AI.
Some people may ask, "Can't you just download an AI software and do it yourself?"
Those who ask such questions still underestimate human nature.
Do you think their core competitiveness is AI? Actually, it is their accurate capture of people's weakness of "not wanting to learn and seeking shortcuts".
On second - hand platforms, nearly 1,000 copies of the "In - depth study of Kimi" priced at 50 yuan have been sold. The costs behind it are mainly the advanced memberships of platforms like Kimi and GPT - 5 and the time cost of training AI.
For example, at the end of last month, Kimi launched a new Agent product, "OKComputer". With a membership subscription of only 99 yuan, users can generate dozens of in - depth reports.
While most people are still blocked by information barriers, resellers on second - hand platforms have already put up listings. The page clearly states, "Kimi OKComputer proxy service: 25 yuan per run, 30 yuan for urgent orders, customization supported."
The most important thing is that the comment sections of these orders are full of positive reviews.
After all, some people can't even register a Google account. What they are paying for is a shortcut to skip the learning process.
This kind of AI business covers all industries, and some have already formed industrial chains.
For example, someone specializes in the health - care field. By feeding a large amount of professional data to AI, they generate high - quality health - care articles and short - video scripts and sell them monthly to health - care centers and health bloggers, easily earning over ten thousand yuan a month.
There is no ceiling for the business of these resellers. When tech giants invest in product upgrades, resellers just follow behind and make money from the leftovers.
AI + everything
Has supported the second - round prosperity of Huaqiangbei
Just as ducks are the first to sense the warming of spring water, Huaqiangbei, as the barometer of China's electronics industry, has never missed any consumer electronics trends, from pagers and mobile phones to smartphones and VR devices.
Now, AI has replaced Apple as the new calling card of Huaqiangbei, and the large - screen advertisements are also about AI products.
Now in Huaqiangbei, everything can be integrated with AI. The saying "All hardware is worth re - creating with AI" has become a reality here.
In addition to the common AI speakers and AI earphones on the market, Huaqiangbei also has novel AI products such as AI guitars, AI rings, AI alarm clocks, and AI phone cases.
Here, as long as you can think of it, you can integrate AI into it. As long as there is a plan, it can be quickly mass - produced.
For example, the AI phone case in Huaqiangbei is equipped with an e - ink screen + NFC transmission on an ordinary phone case. The AI feature lies in the fact that the APP is connected to a large - scale model. Users can select pictures and texts in the APP and display them on the phone case.
From a technological perspective, many products may not be highly AI - integrated, but they are fun. AI alarm clocks and AI guitars have once become popular in a small circle.
This kind of AI phone case is relatively expensive, costing more than 120 yuan. However, many young people buy it for taking photos and checking in.
For the AI hit products that tech giants are focusing on, Huaqiangbei competes with them in terms of price.
Since the smart glasses jointly developed by Meta and Ray - Ban became a small hit, major tech companies have flocked to the market. Naturally, Huaqiangbei won't be left behind.
In the oldest SEG Communication Market, you can see a row of AI glasses on the most prominent counters every few steps. In new markets such as Huaqiang Electronic World Store 2 and Huaqiang Fashion Digital Intelligence Center, AI glasses have become standard products in every stall.
At the Hong Kong Global Sources Exhibition this year, more than 30 manufacturers and supply - chain companies related to AI glasses from Huaqiangbei participated. They brought mature products that can be directly ordered, mass - produced, and experienced on - site.
Different from the high - end products of large manufacturers that often cost thousands of yuan, the cheapest AI glasses in Huaqiangbei only cost 60 yuan. Many people who want to try new things can directly buy them.
The latest Oura Ring from Finland starts at about 2,500 yuan. In Huaqiangbei, there are dozens of styles available for less than 150 yuan. The original PlaudAI voice recorder, which has sold over a million units globally, costs 1,149 yuan, while here you can get it for just over a hundred yuan.
In terms of AI hardware, Huaqiangbei can sometimes even outpace large manufacturers.
For example, Apple just released the AirPods Pro 3 in September this year, which is equipped with AI and has a translation function. However, this kind of AI - translated Bluetooth earphone has been on sale in Huaqiangbei for half a year, and the cheapest style only costs a few dozen yuan.
In addition, the AI translators, which are not very prominent in the eyes of large manufacturers, have become super AI hits in Huaqiangbei.
In the SEG Communication Market, almost every counter has a sign of "AI translator". The prices range from 100 yuan to 450 yuan, and the packages are all printed with words like AI, Intelligent, and Smart.
These AI translators have attracted a large number of foreigners to buy. For many foreigners, their first stop in Shenzhen is to come to Huaqiangbei to buy a translating earphone.
Data shows that in 2025, the daily sales of some AI products in single stores in Huaqiangbei exceeded 20,000 units. The average monthly sales of AI glasses were stable at 10,000 units, and the export ratio was nearly 40%. Some brands of AI alarm clocks have sold millions of units.
Now there are many post - 95s and post - 00s bosses in Huaqiangbei, who have made a fortune from AI devices and become the new generation of electronic business owners in Huaqiangbei.