Across China, a quiet digital revolution is unfolding among the country’s aging population, as millions of senior citizens step beyond traditional lifestyles to integrate cutting-edge internet and artificial intelligence tools into their daily routines. What began as tentative exploration of digital platforms has evolved into widespread adoption, opening new personal, financial and social opportunities for older adults while raising pressing concerns about consumer protection and cybersecurity.
One striking example of this trend is Liu Changling, a 68-year-old orchard farmer with 40 years of cultivation experience based in Jinan, Shandong province. By sharing his professional planting expertise and showcasing his fresh produce on popular Chinese short-video platforms, Liu has unlocked an entirely new revenue stream, expanded his customer base, and built a following of more than 100,000 engaged online users, earning him status as a grassroots digital influencer.
Liu’s journey reflects a massive national shift in digital access for seniors. Official data released by the China Internet Network Information Center shows that as of June 2025, the total number of internet users aged 60 and older in China reached 161 million. According to Xinhua News Agency, this milestone means roughly one out of every two Chinese seniors is now connected to the digital world, marking an 18-fold surge in the elderly online population over the past 15 years.
A 2025 survey led by Beijing Normal University, which polled 2,000 internet users between the ages of 55 and 83, offers deeper insight into how seniors engage with digital tools. The research found that more than 75% of respondents have hands-on experience creating short-form video content, with over 27% posting new content on a regular basis. Most of their content centers on accessible, relatable topics: family daily life, home cooking tutorials, general health guidance, and hands-on skill sharing with other users.
As artificial intelligence moves from niche innovation to mainstream technology, it has further fueled older adults’ enthusiasm for exploring new digital tools. A joint report on senior AI adoption released in October 2025 by Alibaba Group and Zhejiang Open University identifies the elderly demographic as a rapidly growing group with untapped potential for deep participation in the AI-powered economy. The report notes that seniors can gain wide-ranging benefits from AI integration, from improved home-based elder care and personalized health management to professional nursing support, digital emotional companionship, and even extended working opportunities for those who wish to stay active in the workforce.
Contrary to common stereotypes that frame older adults as passive or resistant to technology, data shows they are not just curious learners — they are active consumers of tech products tailored to their needs. For example, on Alibaba’s Tmall e-commerce platform, sales of AI-powered companion robots equipped with voice chat and remote video calling capabilities rose sharply between January and August 2025. During the same period, year-on-year sales growth for senior-friendly smart health bracelets hit over 200%, while sales of senior-focused smartwatches surged more than 350%.
To match this fast-growing demand for digital and AI literacy, colleges for older learners across China have rapidly expanded their course offerings in emerging technology. China Youth Daily reports that Shanghai’s senior-focused universities added a significant number of new AI and digital literacy courses for the 2026 spring semester. In Shanghai’s Changning and Hongkou districts, local senior education institutions have partnered with private information technology companies to provide hands-on guidance that helps older students understand, learn, and apply AI tools in their daily lives.
For many seniors, AI has already created deeply meaningful personal experiences. A 72-year-old student from Qitaihe, Heilongjiang province, identified only as Li, shared his emotional reaction after using AI technology to restore a collection of worn, faded old photographs. “These are pictures of me working at a factory more than 40 years ago,” Li told Heilongjiang Daily. “Seeing the restored images instantly through this technology brought me right back to those old days; it was deeply touching.”
Despite the clear opportunities that digital and AI innovation bring to older adults, experts warn that growing adoption has also attracted bad actors, and new risks to seniors’ financial and personal security remain unaddressed. Zhu Wei, an associate professor at the China University of Political Science and Law, has cautioned that scammers increasingly exploit seniors’ enthusiasm for learning AI by running fraudulent training schemes that target vulnerable older users.
To combat this threat, Zhu called for coordinated action: platforms should proactively shut down fraudulent accounts that pose as AI training providers to scam seniors, regulatory bodies should hold the operating companies behind these malicious accounts legally accountable, and broader, stricter oversight of senior-focused tech services should be enforced. “These measures are crucial for maintaining order in cyberspace and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of the elderly,” Zhu added.