Raul John Aju, a 16-year-old, is emerging as a notable name in the world of artificial intelligence. While completing Class 12 with a Commerce major at North Edappally GHSS in Kunnumpuram, Kochi, Kerala, the teenager is already running an AI company. Popularly known as the "AI Kid of India", Raul has gained attention for developing AI tools, training people in the technology, and turning his passion for artificial intelligence into a startup.
Perhaps the most remarkable part of his journey is that, at an age when most teenagers ask their fathers for pocket money, Raul's father works for him and receives a monthly salary of Rs 2 lakh.
According to Deccan Chronicle, his incredible journey began at age nine, teaching himself artificial intelligence, and has since led to founding a startup that now employs 15 people and has trained nearly five lakh students worldwide.
Speaking to UN News in February this year, he said, "I discovered technology through video editing. When my father got a job at Adobe, I gained free access to all the premium tools, which allowed me to learn about AI. After that, I created my robot, known as MeBot, for a school science project."
Talking about why he hired his father into his company, he replied, "I can gain as much knowledge as I want from my phone, but I don't have his experience. He has worked for companies like Amazon, Adobe, Wipro, and IBM, so I can learn from him. Also, to be honest, it was good for my marketing."
Raul's startup, AI Technologies, runs ThinkCraft Academy, where students from IITs, IIMs, top foreign universities, and corporate institutions pick up AI skills as easily as playing a game on their phones. He's built 15 AI tools, including RESQ AI, MeBot, ZapGap, Investo AI, and FeedFye, all aimed at solving real-world problems. With remote employees from around the globe, the venture has a truly international footprint.
