China launched a global AI education service platform on May 13, 2026, at the World Digital Education Conference in Hangzhou, Qatar News Agency reported. The platform upgrades the Smart Education of China system, already accessible in around 220 countries and regions, to advance cross-border sharing of educational resources and AI integration, according to a Xinhua dispatch.
The announcement at the conference detailed new features including a lifelong learning hub and a Chinese language learning community. These elements extend support to teachers, students and lifelong learners outside China through a unified portal for courses, resources and digital networks. The launch aligns with China’s broader policies on embedding emerging technologies into education and public services, Xinhua reported.
A white paper issued at the 2025 World Digital Education Conference placed registered users of the Smart Education of China platform above 164 million as of April 2025. The system had generated more than 61.3 billion page views while offering over 110,000 primary and secondary resources, 11,300 vocational courses, 31,000 higher education lectures and 2,000 lifelong learning options. It connects 529,000 schools and serves millions of teachers, students and social learners worldwide, according to Baidu Baike data compiled from official releases.
Harbin Engineering University has introduced a dual-degree program in sociology and AI, reflecting institutional expansion of AI-integrated curricula across China, conference coverage from China Daily indicated. Universities and research bodies continue to develop similar interdisciplinary offerings to build technological competencies. This trend forms part of national strategies to prepare learners for AI-driven economies, a 2026 Stanford AI Index report noted in its education overview.
The World Digital Education Conference ran from May 11 to 13, 2026, convening policymakers, education experts and technology specialists from multiple nations. Sessions addressed reshaping education systems via digital tools and artificial intelligence applications. Organizers emphasized collaborative approaches to improve access and innovation in global learning environments, according to event summaries published on gov.cn.
Mordor Intelligence projected the global AI in education market to rise from 6.9 billion U.S. dollars in 2025 to 41.01 billion by 2030 at a compound annual growth rate of 42.83 percent. Grand View Research separately forecast China’s AI education sector to grow from 721.9 million dollars in 2025 to 5.05 billion by 2033, with a 26.1 percent annual rate. Both assessments attribute momentum to demand for personalized and scalable learning solutions.
The platform earned a UNESCO Prize for ICT in Education in 2023 for its role in bridging educational gaps, UNESCO documentation shows. It has since incorporated generative AI capabilities in its 2.0 intelligent edition released in March 2025. International users now benefit from expanded services that originated as a domestic public education tool, a study published in the journal Sustainability found.
