Chongqing — University students across Chongqing are bringing artificial intelligence, big data, and smart technologies to rural communities this summer, helping residents improve fraud awareness, expand agricultural markets, and adopt more precise farming methods.
Through field practice programs, students from several Chongqing universities are applying knowledge gained in the classroom to address real-world challenges in villages, helping to bridge the gap between technological innovation and rural development.
Students deliver a legal education session for residents in a local community. (Photo/University)
In Jiulongpo District, a practice team from the School of Artificial Intelligence and Law at Southwest University of Political Science and Law brought an AI-powered anti-fraud class to residents of Qianqiu Village in Xipeng Town on July 10.
Using an AI face-swapping demonstration, the students showed villagers how criminals can create realistic fake videos to carry out scams. Team members photographed a volunteer, recorded a sentence in the Chongqing dialect, and generated a fake video within minutes showing the person appearing to urgently request money from relatives.
The demonstration helped elderly residents understand the risks of emerging AI-based fraud. Students explained that inconsistencies between facial movements and voices can reveal AI-generated content and advised residents to verify identities by asking private questions or using agreed-upon passwords before transferring money.
In addition, students set up a temporary mobile barber service, combining everyday assistance with fraud prevention education while helping elderly villagers install the National Anti-Fraud Center app and learn about common scams.
Students provide free haircuts while sharing legal knowledge with residents. (Photo/University)
"These students helped us realize that AI is not something far away from our lives, and that scammers are already using it," one villager said.
Hundreds of kilometers away in Zhushan Village, Zhong County, 15 students from Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications used data analysis to help local specialty agricultural products reach wider markets.
The village produces traditional specialties, including puffed glutinous rice and handmade rapeseed oil, but previous livestream sales efforts have struggled to attract sufficient attention. The students analyzed previous sales data and thousands of consumer reviews to better understand market demand.
Their research found that buyers were particularly interested in qualities such as "natural" and "additive-free." Based on the findings, the team adjusted the livestream strategy to highlight the products' ecological and healthy characteristics. The changes helped increase audience interaction and improve sales performance.
Members of the student social practice team host a livestream during their community outreach activities. (Photo/University)
The students also organized livestream sessions to promote local agricultural products and prepared a report on livestream operations and traffic optimization strategies for the village committee, offering suggestions on how digital tools could help local specialties gain wider recognition.
Meanwhile, in Kaizhou District, students from the College of Life Sciences at Chongqing Normal University worked with the Kaizhou District Agriculture and Rural Affairs Commission through a university-local government rural revitalization practice program.
At a high-altitude cold-water fish farming base in Tanjia Town, the students introduced an intelligent water quality monitoring system to support more precise aquaculture management. The equipment monitors key indicators including dissolved oxygen, pH levels and ammonia nitrogen, and can issue automatic alerts when water conditions change.
The students also conducted assessments of the aquatic environment and provided suggestions to improve water circulation and optimize microbial communities to enhance fish growth and health.
At an ecological matcha plantation in Dajin Town, the team focused on maintaining biodiversity within the tea-growing ecosystem. By studying soil microorganisms and natural pest predators, students helped farmers develop biological pest-control approaches, reducing reliance on chemical pesticides and improving tea quality. For local farmers, the intelligent monitoring equipment represented a shift from traditional experience-based farming toward data-driven management.
The summer programs show how university students are using emerging technologies and scientific knowledge to solve practical problems in rural areas, from preventing AI-related fraud to improving agricultural production and marketing.
By bringing campus innovations to villages, the students are contributing to China's rural revitalization efforts and demonstrating how technology can support more sustainable rural development.