Beijing urges Chinese schools to prioritize teaching AI amid US tech trade war

Beijing is urging Chinese schools to integrate artificial intelligence into curriculums for kids as young as six in a bid to build-up domestic talent in the country’s intensifying tech rivalry with the US. In a new directive, the Ministry of Education said the move would “meet China’s future demand for innovative talent” by making AI classes the norm by 2030. Experts believe China is lagging behind the US in generative AI by at least a year, and is in danger of falling further behind, despite Beijing launching a push to boost AI in universities and schools in 2018. A year later, the country rolled out courses in the tech for public high schools, a move education commentators said would cost a few million yuan per school in a highly-developed urban center like Shenzhen to enact, while rural schools often lack basic infrastructure like internet access and adequate classrooms.

Speaking of artificial intelligence and its growing role in education, you might be interested in exploring more about the fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence, the concept of Generative AI, and the implications of Techno-nationalism in the context of global technology competition. Understanding these topics can provide deeper insights into the strategic moves being made by nations in the tech arena.