AI-generated gaokao predictions flood market; media warns ‘most are just gimmicks’

With less than a month until the 2025 gaokao — China’s national college entrance exam — students and parents are deep in preparation. Meanwhile, the market for “gaokao peripherals” is thriving, with “exam predictions” taking center stage. Beyond traditional cram schools offering “expert predictions,” a new trend has emerged — AI models are being promoted as the ultimate gaokao fortune-tellers. 

But how much of it is real, and how much is just hype?

CCTV.com reported on Wednesday that social media influencers are jumping on the bandwagon, posting flashy videos with clickbait titles like “DeepSeek’s 2025 gaokao prediction: Crush the exam with algorithms!”

According to the news report, “AI is mind-blowing—it generated a full set of exam questions and frameworks in just 38 seconds!” exclaimed one blogger, demonstrating how she prompted an AI model to “autonomously” create test material. To “prove” its accuracy, she fed both AI-generated math problems and last year’s actual exam questions into a second tool, which returned a similarity rate of 87.5 percent.

But a closer look revealed the trick — the software didn’t compare specific questions. Instead, it broadly matched question types (eg. “basic + advanced problems”) and topics (eg., “probability, complex numbers”). The result? A misleadingly high “similarity” score with little precision—far from the “revolutionary” tool influencers claimed, CCTV.com reported.

Still, the hype sells. One post bundling “past gaokao papers + DeepSeek’s 2025 predictions” has already sold 111 copies. 

Skeptics online pushed back: “If you’re skilled enough to fine-tune AI for accurate predictions, why would you even need practice tests?”

However, some families, desperate for an edge, are falling victim to outright scams. Last year, education authorities warned of rampant fraud schemes involving fake “leaked” exam papers — often phishing traps demanding deposits or stealing data via fake “sample questions.”

For example, some fraudsters use text messages, online ads, and pop-up windows to lure victims, then demand upfront “deposits” or steal personal data under the pretense of sharing “sample tests.”

Then there’s the “auspicious merch” boom — 100 yuan ($13.85) “blessing candles,” Taoist talismans, and Confucian-themed trinkets promise academic success. Even snacks and supplements have been rebranded as “brain-boosting” essentials. 

As the gaokao industrial complex thrives, one message remains clear — no algorithm or trinket replaces hard work — and vigilance against those selling false hope,  education experts warn.

环球时报