China is pushing ahead with an ambitious plan to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into every stage of its education system by 2030, with some schools already requiring children as young as six to attend AI classes.
The initiative forms part of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030), which aims to embed AI into teaching, learning and school management nationwide.
Earlier this year, five government departments led by the Ministry of Education launched the “AI Plus Education” action plan, requiring primary and secondary schools to incorporate AI into their curricula, while universities must offer AI as a core public course.
The move follows a State Council blueprint that identified AI as a key competency every student should develop, supporting President Xi Jinping’s goal of making China a global leader in advanced technologies.
One of the technologies already being deployed is iFlytek’s Tongchuang AI Blackboard, showcased at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai.
The interactive smart board allows teachers to write using a digital pen, automatically tidies handwritten notes, converts sketches into 3D models, recommends relevant teaching materials and records lessons for students to review later.
According to iFlytek, the system is already being used across 33 provincial-level regions, more than 1,400 districts and counties, and its education products serve over 60,000 schools and 160 million teachers and students.
China currently has around 430,000 primary and secondary schools and kindergartens, educating approximately 220 million students with the support of 15.77 million teachers.
Schools are already applying AI in various ways.
At Liaoshen Street No. 2 Primary School in Shenyang, students upload photos of their calligraphy for instant AI assessment, while computer vision technology measures sprint performance and heart-rate monitors track students during physical education classes.
At Beijing No. 13 Secondary School, AI analyses weeks of student data before lessons, generating personalised assignments and identifying learning gaps across entire classes.
Teachers then review and adjust the AI-generated materials before using them in class.
The same school has also used AI to create lessons covering topics such as smart-home privacy, digital rights and AI-generated misinformation.
Meanwhile, Beijing No. 35 High School now uses AI to conduct the first round of marking for computer programming assignments, allowing teachers to spend more time on lesson planning and professional development instead of repetitive grading.
Beijing now requires every primary and secondary school student to complete at least eight hours of AI education annually, with officials reporting that AI has already been adopted in 87.7 per cent of the city’s schools.
Other cities are expanding AI education even further.
Hangzhou, home to AI company DeepSeek, requires students to complete at least 10 hours of AI learning each year, while schools in Wenzhou use AI to help students create digital avatars that introduce local culture in regional dialects.
Education officials believe AI can eventually replace the traditional one-size-fits-all teaching model by providing more personalised learning pathways.
However, experts have warned against relying too heavily on the technology.
Researchers say current AI systems still struggle to accurately assess certain types of writing and often fail to understand a student’s reasoning process in mathematics.
Professor Yu Shengquan of Beijing Normal University warned that allowing AI to replace activities that develop children’s critical thinking could create a “cognitive short-circuit” during key stages of learning.
Professor Ma Zhanyu from Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications said AI should remain a support tool rather than replacing students’ own analytical and creative thinking.
School leaders also stressed that AI cannot replace teachers, particularly when it comes to providing moral guidance, emotional support and inspiring students beyond the classroom.
