by Tan Aik Keong (AK)
Chinese New Year has always been a major annual event for Chinese communities — stocking up on festive goods, pasting spring couplets, visiting family and friends, all wrapped in a festive atmosphere. But as AI technology advances rapidly, even these traditional customs are quietly changing, bringing a wave of more convenient, more varied new ways to celebrate.
1. AI fortune-telling
Apps like DuitGPT let users enter their zodiac sign for an overall fortune reading covering wealth, love and career, drawing on AI's ability to process huge amounts of information to give practical pointers on financial opportunities, relationships and career moves for the year ahead. Heading into 2025, DuitGPT has rolled out even more targeted annual fortune breakdowns, helping users plan ahead for a more secure, more directed year.
2. AI red-packet greetings
Users type a carefully crafted Chinese New Year greeting into a chat window, and DuitGPT scores it on creativity, wit and expressiveness, picking winners to share in a prize pool. Users can share their creative greetings or red-packet wins on social media too, driving more engagement and building festive buzz.
3. Smart traffic for the balik kampung rush
In the run-up to Chinese New Year, the mass exodus back to hometowns kicks off, with roads, rail and airports all seeing heavy crowds. The "impossible to get a ticket" and severe traffic-jam problems of the past are now being eased by AI. Through AI-based prediction and real-time traffic monitoring, government and transport agencies can better manage the flow, adjusting capacity or suggesting alternate routes in time to cut congestion. Passengers can also use smart apps to check the best travel windows and dodge peak periods, making the journey home smoother.
4. AI-generated greetings and creative content
Pasting spring couplets and writing the "fu" (fortune) character are traditions many families still keep. Now, generative AI lets people quickly create couplets, greeting text, even one-of-a-kind zodiac illustrations or New Year videos. For anyone who isn't confident with calligraphy or design, this keeps the cultural meaning of the festival intact while making self-expression more vivid and varied. Businesses can use AI to quickly produce posters and short-video ads too, delivering New Year promotions more precisely while adding to the festive mood.
5. AI entertainment and cultural preservation
Large New Year TV galas are starting to use AI for real-time visual effects and smart programme sequencing, even putting virtual idols on stage alongside real performers, drawing in younger viewers. Traditional cultural elements — lion dance, dragon dance, calligraphy performances — are being reinterpreted through AR and VR too. With AI-driven audience analytics, organisers can tailor programming to audience preference, helping preserve and promote the heart of Chinese culture more effectively.
Closing
AI's widespread use during Chinese New Year isn't just streamlining shopping and travel — it's injecting fresh creativity and energy into traditional customs. As we enjoy the convenience technology brings, it's worth thinking about how to balance tradition with modernity, efficiency with warmth. After all, what matters most during the festival is still the time spent reunited with family. And with AI's help, that reunion is no longer bound by geography or time — everyone can share love and good wishes in richer, more convenient ways, making Chinese New Year warmer and livelier still.
Part of the AK AI Corner column. Originally published in Oriental Daily (东方日报) on Feb 1, 2025.