electra-supply.comDuring a recent press conference on October 26, held as part of the 2024 Beijing Digital Education Work Promotion Meeting, officials provided an update on the city’s ambitious plan for integrating artificial intelligence into the educational sector. By 2025, Beijing aims to complete the development of pilot AI application scenarios across educational institutions, including universities, middle schools, and elementary schools. The city targets a comprehensive, systemic, and normalized application of AI in education by 2027.
Zhang Yaotian, a member of the Beijing Municipal Education Commission, highlighted the city’s resources in education and technology. “Beijing has premier educational and technological resources, abundant research capabilities, and a strong pool of talent,” he stated. Since 2023, the education authorities have been actively promoting AI pilot programs, focusing on five key areas: assisting with teaching, learning, evaluation, research, and management. The goal is to cultivate 100 smart campuses throughout the city.
At the beginning of the year, the initiative to establish 25 AI pilot schools began. Additionally, 12 exemplary AI application scenarios in higher education were selected, creating a range of excellent practices that showcase intelligent features and unique educational characteristics. Beijing is also systematically developing a talent cultivation framework for AI, which includes launching general education courses in AI and establishing several minor and micro-specialty programs. Currently, 33 universities offer AI majors, and over 20 have established AI colleges or research institutes, engaging in deep collaborations with innovative research entities in the field.
In October, the “Action Plan for AI Applications in Education in Beijing” was released, with Zhang providing insights into its objectives. He noted that within three years, the city aims to establish a sustainable mechanism linking AI application and research to enhance quality talent cultivation, thereby supporting the construction of a strong educational nation and an international center for scientific and technological innovation in Beijing.
Focusing on innovative teaching methods, the city plans to develop five types of typical demonstration projects, including enhancing student learning and development, transforming teaching methods, promoting student well-being, fostering cooperation between schools and communities, and innovating educational governance models. This initiative intends to grow a replicable blueprint for AI applications in education, producing significant case studies and innovative brands.
On the breakthrough front, the strategy advocates for long-term partnerships between schools and AI companies to tackle challenging technical issues in the education sector. The approach seeks to spur the development of AI products and original innovations tailored to the characteristics of Chinese education, with aims for these models to achieve market viability and international leadership.
Zhang emphasized the need to carefully navigate the risks associated with AI in education, citing concerns related to privacy, ethics, and cognitive dependency. “We must approach AI applications with caution, ensuring thorough evaluation and dynamic feedback remain integral to our processes,” he remarked.
At the event, the “Guidelines for AI Applications in Education in Beijing (2024)” were also introduced, outlining 29 typical scenarios for focused implementation. The guidelines encourage an “human-centered” approach, which considers the comprehensive development of students and promotes safe, responsible, and ethical use of AI technologies. They provide structured guidance for educators, helping them integrate new technologies into teaching and management while adhering to educational principles and student growth patterns. Moreover, safeguards for data security, privacy, and ethical standards were highlighted, particularly in the context of minors, who will need permission and guidance from educators or parents when utilizing generative AI.
In conclusion, Zhang indicated that Beijing is committed to positioning itself as a hub for AI educational innovation by focusing on technological breakthroughs, transformative teaching methodologies, and innovative talent development models. By 2025, the plan is to establish five typical application scenarios and 100 benchmark schools for AI applications, with broader engagement across educational institutions by 2027. The city aspires to create a “AI + Education” demonstration base, nurturing several leading-edge enterprises specialized in AI within the educational sector.
