AI Opens the Gates: How China's Tech Giants Are Democratizing Gaokao Guidance for 12.9 Million Students The 2026 gaokao season has introduced an unprecedented phenomenon: China's largest AI companies are locked in competition to help 12.9 million students navigate the high-stakes college application process — and they are offering premium-grade guidance for free. For decades, the post-gaokao ritual of selecting universities and majors was govern…