To Young People in the AI Era: Your Time Has Come!

In the summer of 2026, we'll be waiting for you at WAVES.

If you:

Have spent countless late nights in the lab just to enable the model to learn one more ability

Have repeatedly debugged code in front of the computer, believing that a certain algorithm can truly help a group of people

Have had a vision in your mind - AI should not just replace humans, but make humans more powerful

Then, this letter is for you.

A truth that is happening

In the past two years, we have witnessed an unprecedented technological equalization.

The large models have been open - sourced, the computing power has become cheaper, and AI tools have changed from toys for geeks to daily necessities for ordinary people.

A startup that used to require tens of millions of dollars to launch may now only need a smart mind, a computer, and countless sleepless nights.

So, a new question emerges:

When technology is no longer a barrier, what is the real barrier?

Our answer is: people.

The insight to truly understand users' pain points, the creativity to turn technology into solutions, and the resilience to keep moving forward in uncertainty - these qualities of young people are becoming the scarcest resources in the AI era.

This is not just empty talk; it is the conclusion we have drawn from observing the new economy in the past 15 years.

We are not looking for the "coolest project", but "you who understand people best"

If you look through past startup competitions, you will find a strange phenomenon:

Everyone is competing to see who has a thicker PPT, who uses more obscure terms, and who has higher technical parameters.

But we want to ask:

Do users care?

A wise young person should not be trapped in the cage of "technological self - indulgence".

A wise young person should know that technology is just a means, and enhancing humans is the goal.

So, when we were planning the "Wise Youth Challenge", we set a very simple standard:

We don't care which prestigious school you come from, which round of financing you are in, or even whether you are using the most cutting - edge algorithm

— We only care about one thing: Does your product make a person more powerful?

Does it give office workers a "second brain" to make faster decisions and generate more ideas?

Does it give visually impaired people an extra "pair of eyes" to have a wider perception and more freedom of movement?

Does it give empty - nesters a "companion" to reduce loneliness and increase companionship?

Or does it enable a young person to be a whole team on their own?

If so, you are the "hero of the AI era" we are looking for.

What can 36Kr offer you?

Entrepreneurs often ask us: What else can you do besides reporting?

In the past, we might have listed a bunch of data: Our media matrix covers over 30 million users, connects with over 5,000 investors, and cooperates with over 100 industry giants...

But now, we want to change our approach:

We want you to be seen.

Being seen is not as simple as publishing an article.

It means being seen by investors who truly understand you, who are willing to support you even before you have figured out your business model.

It means being seen by potential industry partners, who are willing to give you a POC opportunity even when you are still refining your prototype.

It means being seen by future users, who start to look forward to your product even before it is on the market.

We also have these "valuable resources" ready:

If you enter the finals:

You will stand on the stage of the WAVES New Wave Conference - one of the most influential stages in the Chinese venture capital field, where the people sitting in the audience are those who can truly change your destiny

Your story will be told by 36Kr in our most proficient way and spread across the whole network, so that more people will know "who you are"

You will be included in our high - potential project database and have direct access to over 5,000 investors

If you are the champion:

You will get a chance to give a speech on the main stage of the WISE Conference and face top business leaders

We will create in - depth special reports for you and give you full - scale exposure across all platforms

You will directly enter the priority channel of the "Under36" selection - one of the most desired labels for young Chinese entrepreneurs

More importantly, we will help you connect with large enterprises to make your technology truly land

Three tracks, three ways to enhance humans

We have set up three tracks, corresponding to three ways for AI to enhance humans:

Track 1: Intelligent Agent - "Second Brain" Challenge

Your product is an intangible "brain" that is embedded in users' workflows or life scenarios, broadening their cognitive boundaries, improving decision - making quality, and unleashing creativity.

We want to see: How deeply you understand users' needs and how smoothly your human - machine collaboration works.

Track 2: Intelligent Hardware - "Super Support" Challenge

Your product is a tangible "body" (robots, robotic arms, smart glasses...), helping users break through the limitations of physical space, with a longer - range perception, stronger action, and warmer companionship.

We want to see: How ingenious your solutions are and how solidly your scenarios are implemented.

Track 3: One - Person Company - "Super Individual" Challenge

Your model is that one person is a whole team. Use AI Agents to handle customer service, use large models to generate code, and use automated tools to complete promotions - you may be a combination of a programmer, a product manager, an operator, and a customer service representative.

We want to see: Whether you can use AI to drive a business closed - loop that traditionally requires a ten - person team, so that one person's output can match that of a company.

The three tracks share the same goal: to make humans stronger.

A metaphor about "summer"

We have a selfish reason for holding the finals at the WAVES New Wave Conference.

WAVES means "waves".

We believe that AI is the biggest wave at present.

And young people should be the surfers at the forefront.

In the past WAVES, we shouted "Keep moving forward, don't look back" to encourage young people to break through boundaries.

Today at WAVES, we see an eternal summer for young people - the sun is just right, the wind is strong, and the waves are high.

At the WAVES Conference, we will give 12 teams half a day to stand on this stage.

What will happen that day?

It may be your first time giving a speech in front of hundreds of investors.

It may be your first time testing your product in a real - life scenario.

It may be your first time being seen, understood, and recognized by so many people.

Or it may be the starting point of a new stage in your life.

So, will you come?

If you are doing something -

Using AI to make a person stronger, a group of people stronger, and the world stronger.

If you believe -

Technology should not replace humans, but enhance them.

If you desire -

To be seen, understood, and accelerated.

Then, we are looking for you.

The registration method is very simple:

Scan the QR code below, fill in the information, and you can participate in the competition!

Registration deadline: 23:59 on April 30, 2026

Competition fee: $0

There is no need for a complicated process or a long wait.

You just need to prepare your story, and leave the rest to us.

Finally, let's end with a quote we like very much:

"You just need to set off and face the waves."

In the summer of 2026, we'll be waiting for you at WAVES.

Let's ride the wave of the AI era together.

Wise Youth Challenge · 2026

Come and define the next possibility.

This article is from the WeChat official account "36Kr", published by 36Kr with authorization.