Beijing to roll out AI courses for kids to boost sector’s growth

[BEIJING] Schools in Beijing will introduce artificial intelligence (AI) courses to primary and secondary students to strengthen China’s goal to dominate the sector.

From the coming fall semester, which starts Sep 1, schools in China’s capital will offer at least eight hours of AI classes per academic year, the Beijing Municipal Education Commission said in a statement on its website. Schools can run them as standalone courses or integrate them with existing curriculum, such as information technology and science, it said.

China has long held ambitions to be an AI innovator. But the sector was thrust into the global spotlight earlier this year after startup DeepSeek released a model that it said performs as well as those made by large US companies while needing far fewer resources.

The educational plan follows a pledge by the government at the National People’s Congress to support the extensive application of large-scale AI models and development of new-generation intelligent terminals and manufacturing equipment. A tech revolution led by AI provides major opportunities for education, Minister of Education Huai Jinpeng said on Wednesday (Mar 5) on the sidelines of the annual session of the national legislature. China will release a white paper on AI education in 2025, he said.