A Nation Learns to Think in Code

Contestants get ready for an event at the seventh World Intelligence Congress (WIC) in Tianjin, north China. The WIC is one of China’s leading artificial intelligence (AI) gatherings. Courtesy of Xinhua and Global Times.

In classrooms across China, artificial intelligence is no longer a faraway concept reserved only for elite universities or mature tech companies. Since the 2025-26 academic year, AI has evolved into a mandatory component of primary and secondary education, introduced to students as young as six years old. What might seem like a futuristic experiment is actually a very carefully planned policy choice that reflects China’s long-term strategy to align its education standards and goals with technological transformation and increasing global competition. 

The shift marks a critical, decisive moment in China’s education reform. For years, policymakers have contemplated modernizing schooling beyond the traditional exam-oriented learning and memorization. AI education has fully emerged as one feasible solution. Under new municipal and national guidelines, schools are officially required to provide a minimum number of instructional hours in AI each year, either through standalone lessons or through embedding the concepts about AI into their existing subjects and curricula such as science, mathematics, and information technology. The goal is not simply to teach students how to utilize AI, but to carefully cultivate a basic understanding of how AI systems function, how they shape everyday life, and how they may influence students’ futures. 

However, this reform did not appear overnight. To fully understand it, one must trace back to the late 2010s, when China’s Ministry of Education began launching AI courses in select regions, often in partnerships with domestic technology firms. The earliest cities to develop these initiatives were Beijing and Hangzhou, which served as early testing grounds, structuring AI curricula before national mandates were finalized. These pilot programs allowed policymakers to reform lesson content, teacher training, and assessment methods prior to nationwide expansion. 

What distinguishes China’s approach is its systematic, age-tiered design. In lower grades, students are introduced to foundational ideas such as pattern recognition, human-technology interaction, and basic logic. As students advance, lessons expand to include data processing and algorithmic thinking. By high school, students have the capacity to work  on applied projects that use mandatory AI tools to solve practical problems. This progression mirrors the government’s broader push to expand innovation and foster problem-solving skills, shifting away from purely theoretical instructions. 

This policy is also tied to China’s economic and strategic priorities. Many officials frequently frame AI education as  essential preparation for a strong future workforce in which intelligent systems are deeply embedded across industries. From manufacturing to healthcare, AI is expected to reshape employment patterns. Early exposure ensures that students are not merely users of technology but possess strong capabilities to contribute to its development. In this sense, the classroom transforms into an extension of national development planning. 

Simultaneously, authorities stress that AI education must be accompanied with responsible use and ethical awareness. For example, ministry of education guidelines caution against over-dependence on AI tools and emphasize the importance of creativity, human judgement, and critical thinking. Schools are encouraged to promote cooperation and teach students about data privacy along with social consequences of AI- issues that many countries are only beginning to contend at higher levels of education. 

With the school’s use of AI, public reaction has been mixed. Many parents welcome the reform, seeing AI literacy as a mandatory and practical skill that will grant their children an advantage in a highly competitive global economy. Meanwhile, others are worried about the unequal access to resources, especially in rural areas of China where schools may lack properly trained teachers, stable connection, or adequate technology. These concerns further highlight the challenge of implementing a uniform policy across regions with significant disparities despite central authorities' promotion of nationwide standards. 

China’s decision to mandate AI education stands in contrast to more cautious approaches elsewhere. In many Western countries, debates continue over whether AI belongs in classrooms at all and, if so, how to regulate its use. China has opted for an aggressive early integration as it believes familiarity and oversight are preferable to prohibition. 

Ultimately, China’s AI curriculum reform extends past teaching students to code or interact with machines. It reflects a redefinition of what it means to be educated in the contemporary world. By introducing AI as a foundational course rather than a specialized elective, China signals that technological literacy is no longer optional. Whether this ambitious experiment succeeds will depend on its implementation and equity, as China must maintain a strict balance between innovation and caution. Despite these challenges, AI is already reshaping how millions of students grasp the world ahead.