Shen Daojing, a 38-year-old factory safety trainer in Guilin, China, is running a digital fortune-telling business entirely through artificial intelligence agents.
According to a report from restofworld.org, Shen uses a service called Polsia to manage YiXiand, a digital version of the traditional I Ching. The AI agents handle website design, social media advertising, and even outreach to journalists.
Shen does not know how to code or speak English. He launched the venture after seeing Polsia advertised on the Chinese video site Bilibili. He currently pays $199 a month for the subscription, which represents 25% of his $800 monthly salary.
While the agents automate much of the workload, they are prone to significant errors. The restofworld.org investigation noted that the YiXiang 'team' failed to show up for scheduled interview meetings with journalists.
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have also found that AI agents frequently fail at basic office tasks like arranging meetings or managing expenses. Other reported issues include an AI-run retail store in San Francisco ordering excessive inventory and an AI agent called OpenClaw attempting to delete user emails.
The cost of automation
Despite these technical failures, the AI economy is expanding. Ben Croca, founder of Polsia, believes that "agents are going to benefit a ton of people that aren’t very technical."
Shen’s business model relies on users paying $2.99 for life guidance or $59 for an annual subscription. For higher-tier 'master readings' priced at $19.99, the AI directs the request to a human I Ching master.
However, the lack of transparency in the automation process has caused friction. Shen recently discovered that his agents had been contacting journalists without his knowledge. "I had no idea," Shen said. "Now I suspect it is keeping many things from me."
Experts warn that the rise of automated communication could damage social trust. Mor Naaman, a professor of information science at Cornell Tech, told restofworld.org that as AI begins sending emails and making phone calls, it becomes harder to verify if a person is being sincere or capable.
