A thought-provoking classroom exercise at Shenzhen Nanshan Foreign Language School has captivated millions across China, prompting deep national conversation about human identity in the age of artificial intelligence. Chinese language teacher Yu Yaxuan presented her 54 students with a seemingly simple yet profoundly challenging question: \”Prove you’re not an AI with one Chinese character.\”\n\nThe students’ responses, which have since gone viral with 6.7 million views on Bilibili video platform, revealed remarkable philosophical depth and emotional intelligence. One student selected \”mother,\” explaining that it represents \”the first word most humans learn and a symbol of protective magic. Parents are our final barrier against death—something robots cannot comprehend.\”\n\nThe exercise highlighted contrasting yet equally human perspectives. Two students chose opposing concepts: \”urgent\” and \”slow.\” One noted that \”robots don’t understand why humans constantly hurry,\” describing how emotional states shape our perception of time. Another student, surnamed Wu, argued that while AI pursues speed and efficiency, humans cherish slowing down with loved ones, willingly \”wasting time on things that make life beautiful.\”\n\nOther students selected characters representing fundamental human experiences: \”doubt\” questioned whether AI could question its creators; \”limit\” celebrated human finitude versus AI’s infiniteness; while \”hatred\” was described as a complex mix of contradictory emotions that ten students identified as profoundly human.\n\nTeacher Yu Yaxuan explained the exercise’s purpose: \”AI serves as a clear mirror, reflecting those distinctly human moments we often overlook—hesitation, clumsiness, and impulsiveness.\” She emphasized that the goal wasn’t to debate human superiority but to explore deeper layers of humanity. For herself, Yu chose \”you,\\” quoting Mao Zedong to highlight how the future belongs to the younger generation.\n\nThe timing of this viral discussion is particularly significant as China’s 2025 Phrase of the Year was awarded to \”DeepSeek,\” a domestic AI model, reflecting the technology’s pervasive influence. Yet as student Wang articulated, humans maintain their unique value: \”I shape purpose, while AI is shaped by purpose. AI is always answering, but humans are always questioning.\”