Chinese Father Lets Son Watch TV For Hours, But Has A Clever AI Trick Every 10 Minutes

A Chinese father has found an unusual way to balance his son's television time and studies. Using artificial intelligence, he created a system that interrupts TV shows every 10 minutes with school quizzes

A father in Shenzhen, China, has come up with an unconventional solution to his son's excessive television habits. Instead of completely banning screen time, he has introduced an artificial intelligence-powered system that makes the child answer school questions before continuing to watch his favourite programmes.

The father, who works as a taxi driver, reportedly struggled to get his son, a junior secondary school student, to focus on academics. The boy frequently spent long hours watching television, prompting his father to explore different ways of limiting his screen time.

However, his earlier attempts did not work. The television's built-in question-and-answer feature was easily bypassed, while a smart plug designed to switch off the television at a particular time was rendered useless when the boy simply unplugged it.

TV Screen Interrupts Shows Every 10 Minutes With School Questions

After several unsuccessful attempts, the father turned to an AI application in October for a more creative solution. The technology suggested developing a programme that would require his son to answer educational questions before allowing him to resume watching television.

With AI's assistance, he created and refined the programme before installing it on the television.

Now, the system automatically interrupts the viewing experience every 10 minutes with questions from three subjects: Chinese, mathematics and English. The questions are based on lessons the boy is studying at school.

There is another catch. If the child answers incorrectly, he must solve an additional question. His television programme resumes only after he provides the correct answer.

Interestingly, the father discovered that his son was not particularly annoyed by the interruptions. Instead, the boy gradually began enjoying the quizzes, turning what could have become another argument over screen time into an interactive learning activity.

Chinese Father's AI Experiment Attracts Attention From Other Parents

The experiment has also attracted considerable attention from other parents in China. Several reportedly approached the father to understand how they could introduce a similar system in their own homes.

The father said he would need a few more days to prepare a tutorial explaining the installation process, as different television models have varying safety and privacy settings.

He also clarified that his objective was never to prevent his son from watching television altogether. Instead, he wanted to make screen time more productive while encouraging the child to develop an interest in learning.

According to a report by the South China Morning Post, the father described the arrangement as a learning process for both of them. He even allows his son to find ways to bypass the system, while he tries to identify and fix its weaknesses.

The experiment comes amid growing interest in AI-powered education in China. Interactive AI tutors are increasingly being used by students, while children themselves are also exploring the technology to develop educational solutions. The report also highlighted a 13-year-old girl from Shanghai who created an AI tool to help parents monitor children's study habits and won third prize at a national AI marketing competition in August.