Schools in Beijing will introduce artificial intelligence courses to primary and secondary students to strengthen China's goal to dominate the sector.

From the coming fall semester, which starts on September 1, schools in China's capital will offer at least eight hours of AI classes per academic year, the Beijing Municipal Education Commission said.

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

China has long held ambitions to be an AI innovator. But the sector was thrust into the global spotlight earlier this year after startup DeepSeek released a model that it said performs as well as those made by large US companies while needing far fewer resources.

The educational plan follows a pledge by the government at the National People's Congress to support the extensive application of large-scale AI models and development of new-generation intelligent terminals and manufacturing equipment.

A tech revolution led by AI provides major opportunities for education, education minister Huai Jinpeng said on the sidelines of the annual session of the national legislature. The country will release a white paper on AI education this year, he said.

China will also accelerate the use of AI and big data in elderly and social care as it bets on new technologies to drive economic growth despite an aging population.

The announcement comes as officials grapple with the country's low birth rate and a declining workforce.

"We will accelerate the development and application of new technologies and products such as big data and artificial intelligence in the fields of social assistance, elderly care services, and services for the disabled," civil affairs minister Lu Zhiyuan said at the "Two Sessions" political gathering. The move would make services "more convenient, more accessible and more standardized."

China's population fell for the third year in a row in 2024 and it already has more than 310 million people aged 60 and over.

As the workforce shrinks, the government has increasingly looked to technology to drive future economic growth.

Local governments have rushed to implement DeepSeek's AI model into their services since the privately run Chinese company released the latest version of its chatbot in January.

DeepSeek's cut-price model outperformed many of its Western AI competitors despite US curbs on sales of advanced AI chips to Chinese companies.

President Xi Jinping pointed to official support for the sector when he held a rare symposium for private companies last month that included several AI and technology bosses, telling them to "show their talents."

DeepSeek's founder Liang Wenfeng attended, along with representatives from top technology firms such as Tencent.

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Young students play with robots as an elderly couple offer treats during a festival. AGENCIES

AI courses for primary, secondary students