Afra Wang on Liangzhu, China’s Vibe-Coding Capital, and the Anxious Optimism of the AI Boom

China’s recent AI boom manifests as a "vibe coding" movement in Liangzhu, where displaced tech workers and entrepreneurs form tight-knit, living-room-based communities to navigate economic uncertainty. Unlike Western resistance to AI infrastructure, Chinese youth often embrace AI as a necessary tool for upward mobility, driven by a deep-seated anxiety about being left behind. This "AI-plus" ethos fuels a sprawling, often cult-like paid education industry and AI-driven fortune-telling services, which offer a sense of agency in a landscape where traditional career paths have stalled. While state media criticizes these "get-rich-with-AI" schemes as exploitative, they serve as a critical survival mechanism for individuals seeking dignity and self-salvation. Journalist Afra Wang highlights how this techno-optimism is less about blind faith and more about a pragmatic, albeit desperate, attempt to adapt to a new normal where traditional growth has slowed.