Zheng Wenqi, 42 years old, had almost no English proficiency, but now converses daily with her 9-year-old son thanks to a 375 USD "translation mask". This AI-powered device instantly translates her Chinese into English.
The mother stated that she wears the mask for about one hour each day. While the translations can sometimes be stiff, her son could speak English confidently after one month. Her 5-year-old daughter can also describe simple actions, such as getting dressed and putting on shoes.
"When it's study time, our whole family automatically switches to speaking English", the Heilongjiang mother excitedly shared.
In Hunan, Li Linyun saved hundreds of USD on tutors by using the Doubao chatbot. The parent found that AI not only explains lessons better but can also grade her daughter's homework from photos.
"AI is a 24/7 teacher, highly knowledgeable and tireless", Li commented, adding that she no longer feels "frantic" when helping her 10-year-old daughter with homework.
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Parents share photos of AI supervising their children's studies on social media. Photo: ABC News |
In China, homework is often sent via social media groups, requiring parents to stay updated and report progress to teachers. This led many to hire private tutors or send their children to after-school classes. A 2016 survey by the China Education Association revealed that over 75% of students aged 6-18 attended after-school tutoring.
However, a tutoring ban implemented in 2021, coupled with slower economic growth, prompted many families to re-evaluate their children's education expenses.
Last August, authorities issued guidelines for applying AI across all educational levels, aiming to become a global education powerhouse. Since then, the adoption of AI has grown.
Schools have integrated numerous AI-powered devices and software into teaching and learning. These include personalized workbooks and models capable of grading batches of tests in minutes.
Outside of schools, "AI classrooms" are increasingly common, with approximately 50,000 centers offering services to children aged 8-18. Students sit quietly in small cubicles, eyes fixed on tablet screens. They receive homework corrections, repeated knowledge drills, or customized lessons, all supervised by AI. Teachers merely observe and encourage.
This model is promoted as an ideal personalized self-study space to replace tutoring centers, thus avoiding violations of the official ban. However, May Zeng, 24 years old, a supervisor at an AI classroom, noted that parents are primarily concerned with finding a place to send their children.
Educators argue that the benefits of AI have been exaggerated, potentially even causing harm by limiting children's social interaction and weakening their learning skills.
Jeremy Knox, an associate professor at the University of Oxford, England, who studies AI in Chinese education, believes AI could exacerbate inequality. Rural children might spend many hours in front of screens, while their urban peers learn from highly qualified teachers.
"There is too much hype around AI. If young people become increasingly dependent on automated feedback, they will lose their ability to think for themselves", he stated.
Yong Zhao, a professor at the University of Kansas, United States, said that AI has not yet brought meaningful change to education. Compared to schools in the United States, where teachers have more freedom in designing teaching methods, schools in China still adhere to a state-designed curriculum, allowing less room for experimentation despite AI adoption.
"People are randomly buying services just because it's AI", he observed.
Zheng Shuliang, director of a startup with "AI therapy pods" in nearly 200 schools, found that students often prefer not to speak with teachers.
"They prefer to talk to the AI inside those small pods", he said.
Despite skepticism, Yin Xingyu in Shenzhen believes that early exposure to AI is preparation for the future. She uses DeepSeek to program English vocabulary games for her child and plans for her child to use chatbots to find essay ideas when older.
"It is likely the future trend, and I want her to get familiar with it from a young age", Yin stated.
Doan Hung (According to New York Times, Reuters, Rest of World, China Daily, ABC News)
