China is integrating artificial intelligence (AI) applications into teaching, textbooks and the school curriculum as part of an education overhaul.
The move, aimed at students and teachers at primary, secondary and tertiary levels, comes as the world’s second-largest economy seeks to spur innovation and find new sources of growth.
The education ministry said the development of AI will help “develop the basic abilities of teachers and students” and build “the competitiveness of innovative talent.”
For students, such basic abilities range from independent thinking and problem-solving to communication and collaboration, the ministry said in a statement. The use of AI will lead to more innovative and sophisticated classes.
The effort comes as Chinese universities have launched AI courses and expanded student enrollment since startup DeepSeek gained global attention in January for launching a competitive large-language model that is cheaper to develop than its US counterparts.
That same month, China also unveiled its first national action plan to build a “strong education nation” by 2035, aiming to harness the power of innovation to achieve that goal.
