China is rapidly bringing AI into daily life. The country aims to be a global AI superpower by 2030, and it shows in how its citizens learn, work, and play.
Eight-year-old Timmy, a boy from Beijing, is part of this new narrative. His newest companion isn’t a pet or a sibling but an AI robot that plays chess with him. The little robot, still nameless, quickly became part of his routine. On its first night home, Timmy hugged it before bed.
“It’s like a little teacher or a little friend,” he said, focusing on his next chess move. Moments later, the robot encouraged him, “Congrats! You win.” With blinking round eyes on its digital face, the robot reset the board for another match.
Timmy’s mother, Yan Xue, sees AI education as a must. “Children should get to know it early. We should not reject it,” she said. With AI influencing the future, she believes early exposure will give her son an advantage.
China’s AI Boom
Timmy’s story is just a snippet of China’s AI boom. Across the country, AI innovations are sprouting up and finding applications in everyday life.
- Over 4,500 AI companies are racing to develop cutting-edge tech.
- Beijing’s primary and secondary schools are launching AI courses this year.
- Universities are expanding AI programs, welcoming more students into the field.
- The government is investing $1.4 trillion in AI research over 15 years.
The Rise of DeepSeek and China’s ‘Six Little Dragons’
China’s AI ambitions shocked the world in January. DeepSeek, a powerful AI chatbot, made waves in Silicon Valley. Many didn’t expect China to catch up so fast, especially with U.S. trade restrictions on advanced chips. Yet, DeepSeek proved China could innovate despite the barriers.
DeepSeek is part of a rising group of homegrown AI firms, known as China’s “Six Little Dragons”:
- DeepSeek – AI chatbot technology
- Unitree Robotics – Humanoid and quadruped robots
- Deep Robotics – Advanced automation solutions
- BrainCo – AI-driven brain-computer interfaces
- Game Science – AI-powered gaming experiences
- Manycore Tech – High-performance computing chips
AI Education
China’s AI surge is powered by a massive talent pool. In 2020 alone, over 3.5 million students graduated with STEM degrees, more than any other country. President Xi Jinping has stressed that education is key to China’s AI leadership.
AI education isn’t just for universities. Chinese toy companies are making AI-powered kits that teach kids as young as three to code. One company, Whalesbot, sells toy kits with booklets introducing programming basics. The goal? To make sure the next generation grows up comfortable with AI and coding.
Also read: China Introduces AI Courses for Kids for Global AI Dominance
“Other countries have AI education robots, too. But in competitiveness and smart hardware, China is doing better,” said Abbott Lyu, vice president of Whalesbot.
AI and Global Tensions
China’s AI rise is impressive, but it also raises global concerns. AI relies on data, and with nearly a billion mobile users, China has a major advantage. However, Western governments worry about how this data is used and whether the Chinese government can access it.
Apps like TikTok and DeepSeek have faced scrutiny:
- South Korea banned new downloads of DeepSeek.
- Taiwan and Australia restricted the app on government devices.
- The U.S. tightened export controls on advanced AI chips.
Read also: China is Getting Nvidia AI Chips Despite Ban
Chinese companies, including TikTok’s owner ByteDance, insist that user data is safe. Still, global concerns continue to fuel restrictions on Chinese AI products.
