Beijing to introduce AI courses in schools to drive sector growth

Beijing schools will roll out AI courses in primary and secondary grades, in a bid to accelerate the sector’s growth in China.

Starting Sep 1 this year, the schools will offer at least eight hours of AI classes in each academic year, according to a statement released by the Beijing Municipal Education Commission.

Schools can run them as standalone courses or integrate them with existing curricula, such as information technology and science, it said.

The announcement comes following a pledge by the government at the National People’s Congress to facilitate the widespread adoption of large-scale AI models and advance the development of next-generation smart devices and manufacturing equipment.

On March 5, China’s Minister of Education Huai Jinpeng while speaking on the sidelines of the annual session of the national legislature said a tech revolution led by AI provides major opportunities for education.

The country will release a white paper on AI education in 2025, Jinpeng said.

China has long aimed to dominate the AI sector, with its latest startup, DeepSeek, claiming its model matches the performance of major US firms while using significantly fewer resources.