China’s AI champion SenseTime latest to offer online learning after students told to stay home amid coronavirus outbreak
- It is the first time that SenseTime has made available a countrywide education program for free
- Previous forecast of annual growth of between 16 to 24 per cent in online education sector over next three to five years may be revised upwards
The online AI learning program, offering a full range of open classes, experimental tool kits for programming, and distance learning training for teachers, will be available free of charge, the company announced on Monday.
The move comes in response to the Education Ministry’s call to help 180 million students across the country “keep learning even with classes suspended” after schools postponed the upcoming spring semester until further notice. Chinese authorities have encouraged people to stay at home to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus through human-to-human contact.
Students can access AI and programming knowledge and conduct interactive experiments through python-based coding tasks, while the platform also provides teachers with programming tools and training in how to conduct distance teaching and tutoring, according to a SenseTime statement.
In addition, a series of online videos will be available to students, ranging from common educational clips on topics like AI and robotics to open classes designed for college students to keep informed on industry developments and emerging issues.
It is the first time that SenseTime has made available a countrywide education program for free, according to a company spokeswoman. During the last semester a basic AI education curriculum developed by the company was adopted by about 250 primary and junior high schools in mainland Chinese cities like Shanghai, Qingdao and Chengdu, as well as in the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau.