How Should Children Grow Up in the Age of AI?
Amid the tide of AI,
we are not searching for certain answers;
we are learning to grow alongside our children —
with curiosity, courage and warmth.
Arcus42 · Light Talk Series
"Light Talk" is Arcus42's new open-conversation series,
which together with "Deep Talk" makes up our new learning programme.
Deep Talk explores essence and ideas;
Light Talk connects reality and practice.
This Session's Guest
Xiao Dun | Founder & CEO of Ainia
Dual degrees from Trinity College, University of Cambridge, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Co-founder of 17zuoye, a NASDAQ-listed company
Time | October 15, 2025, 2:30 - 3:30PM
Format | Online video meeting (by invitation)
About the Guest
"The one in AI who understands education best, and the one in education who understands AI best." No description fits Xiao Dun better. He is the classic "kid everyone else's parents talk about," yet he has never been defined by his achievements.
From Cambridge to the AI Universe
He attended the High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China, where he was one of the most active boarders. He played the trumpet superbly — winning a silver medal at an international wind music competition and representing China at the international wind music festival in Lausanne, Switzerland. Even then, he was a teenager who could talk to the world through music.
In 2001, on the strength of his outstanding grades and character,
he won a scholarship from the Lei Ruide Education Foundation
to attend Millfield School in the UK;
he then received a gold award for international students
and was admitted to Trinity College, Cambridge, where Newton once studied.
He later went on to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT),
graduating with undergraduate degrees from both Cambridge and MIT.
He was only 22 when he graduated from Cambridge.
He is a triathlete, and a philanthropist in action.
He believes the point of education is to make people whole —
able to think logically, and also to feel the world.
He then returned to China,
and in 2011 co-founded 17zuoye,
letting tens of millions of Chinese children "learn through play" online for the first time.
On December 4, 2020,
17 Education & Technology listed on NASDAQ,
with a market value of US$1.983 billion.
It was a long run from "educator" to "innovator of education systems."
Setting Out Again: Ainia, a Universe for Learning Through Stories
Today, his work has come back to where it began.
He founded Ainia —
"A Universe of Story Learning."
Ainia's philosophy is "A Place Where Young Minds Flourish."
It believes
that empathy, adaptability and kindness
are the most essential "human skills" of the AI era.
Through immersive storytelling and interactive experiences,
Ainia helps children build deep emotional connections with family, friends and the world.
This Time, We Want to Talk About More Than AI
AI is redrawing the boundaries of education, work and cognition at astonishing speed.
Parents, teachers and entrepreneurs are all asking —
how, exactly, should the children of the future learn, work and live?
Arcus42's "Light Talk" series has always paid attention to these cross-generational questions.
This time, together with Xiao Dun,
we will hold a "future-facing conversation for parents":
Under the impact of AI, how should parents raise their children?
— Does knowledge still matter? Is the ultimate goal of education being rewritten?
In the AI era, how should children use AI?
— When AI can do their homework for them, what should we really worry about, and how should we guide them?
What will AI do to the education industry?
— Will the boundaries between schools, platforms and education at home be redrawn?
What will AI do to the future labour market?
— When AI can replace many "smart jobs," how will children find their first job?
"True education is not about adapting to tools, but about enabling humans to keep asking better questions."
Amid the tide of AI,
we are not searching for certain answers;
we are learning to grow alongside our children —
with curiosity, courage and warmth.
AI has changed the "answers," but asking questions is still a human privilege.
In terms of passing things on across generations, education has never been about "how to teach,"
but about "what kind of people we hope the next generation will become."
If you are also thinking about legacy, or are interested in education in the age of AI,
you are welcome to scan the QR code, or reach out through your contact,
to get the details for the online meeting.
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