How is China using AI in the classroom? | The Take

Key Concepts

• AI Literacy: The educational initiative to familiarize students with AI concepts, ethics, and applications from a young age.
• Embodied Intelligence: The integration of AI into physical robotic forms (humanoid or otherwise) to perform tasks in the real world.
• Strategic Technology: The classification of AI by the Chinese government as a critical pillar for national rejuvenation and global influence.
• Semiconductor Self-Reliance: China’s push to develop domestic chip manufacturing to bypass U.S. export restrictions.
• Demographic Crisis: The challenge of an aging population, which China aims to mitigate by replacing human labor with AI and robotics.
• Large Language Models (LLMs): AI systems used not only for utility but as tools for shaping cultural and ideological narratives.

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1. AI in the Chinese Education System

China has implemented a nationwide mandate to integrate AI literacy into school curricula, starting as early as age six.

• Primary Level: The focus is on sparking interest rather than technical mastery. Methods include exposure to robotics, demonstrations of AI’s utility in daily life, and familiarization with the technology.
• Secondary/High School Level: The curriculum shifts toward ethics, privacy, social responsibility, and the technical "back-end" of AI. The ultimate goal is to cultivate a generation of AI engineers and proficient users to support national development.
• Government Stance: While the government encourages AI adoption, it emphasizes that AI should not replace human critical thinking, though officials acknowledge the difficulty of balancing AI utility with independent cognitive development.

2. Strategic Ambitions and National Narrative

President Xi Jinping has identified AI as a core component of the "great rejuvenation of China" by 2049.

• Ideological Control: Beyond economic and military power, China views AI as a tool for narrative control. Because AI models are imbued with the ideologies of their creators, China is investing heavily in domestic LLMs to ensure its own philosophies and history are represented in the global digital discourse.
• State-Led Investment: Unlike Western models that rely heavily on market forces, the Chinese state is actively directing investment and mandates to ensure the country becomes a dominant global AI power.

3. Robotics and "Embodied Intelligence"

At the World Robotics Conference in Beijing, the focus was on "embodied intelligence"—giving AI a physical body.

• Industrial Applications: Companies like UBTECH are deploying humanoid robots in electric vehicle factories. These robots can perform 24/7 operations, including self-maintenance (e.g., autonomous battery swapping), effectively addressing labor shortages caused by China’s aging population.
• Normalization: By exposing children to robots at a young age, the government aims to normalize human-robot interaction, envisioning a future where robots serve as household assistants or classroom aids.

4. Military Modernization: The "Army of No Man"

China is aggressively integrating AI into its military strategy to achieve a "world-class military" by 2050.

• Unmanned Systems: Military analysts note a shift toward "the army of no man," utilizing drones, unmanned ships, and autonomous submarines.
• Tactical Advantages: AI is being applied to battlefield scanning, surveillance, reconnaissance, and early warning systems. The use of "swarm attacks" and the removal of human personnel from high-risk vehicles are seen as game-changers in modern warfare.

5. The Semiconductor Arms Race

The U.S. government’s decision to restrict high-end semiconductor exports to China has had a dual effect:

• Initial Disruption: The restrictions were initially devastating to Chinese tech firms reliant on U.S. chips (e.g., Nvidia).
• The "Fire" of Self-Reliance: The policy forced China to accelerate its domestic semiconductor industry. The emergence of companies like Deep Seek—which developed models competitive with OpenAI and Google—demonstrates that China is closing the gap faster than anticipated. Nationalist commentators argue that U.S. restrictions actually strengthened China’s resolve to achieve technological independence.

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Synthesis and Conclusion

The Chinese approach to AI is characterized by a top-down, state-driven strategy that treats the technology as an existential necessity. By embedding AI into the education system, the military, and the industrial labor force, China is attempting to solve its demographic challenges while simultaneously positioning itself as a global leader in both technological capability and ideological narrative. While the U.S. and other Western nations remain cautious due to concerns over labor displacement and ethical risks, China is "going all in," viewing AI as the definitive tool to secure its future as a dominant global power. The transition toward an AI-integrated society is viewed by the Chinese leadership not as an option, but as an inevitable path to national survival and prosperity.