AI is the fastest expanding discipline in China’s universities, with 180 more approved to offer it as a major

China’s Ministry of Education approved applications for 180 more colleges to offer majors in artificial intelligence in 2019, up from 35 the year before

The ramping up of approvals comes as the country tries to attract more talent to drive what has been referred to as the fourth industrial revolution

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China’s Ministry of Education (MOE) approved applications by 180 colleges to set up new AI-related majors for undergraduate students in 2019. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 1:10pm, 4 Mar 2020Updated: 1:24pm, 4 Mar 2020

Artificial intelligence has become the fastest expanding discipline at mainland Chinese universities, as the country charges ahead with its ambitions to become a global leader in the field.

China’s Ministry of Education (MOE) approved applications by 180 colleges to set up new AI-related majors for undergraduate students in 2019, compared to just 35 a year earlier, a circular issued by the ministry showed on Tuesday.

The ramping up of approvals comes as the country tries to attract more talent to drive what has been referred to as the fourth industrial revolution.

China has laid out plans to become the global AI leader by 2030, but a shortage of hi-tech talent has been cited as one of the factors hindering wider adoption of the technology in the world’s second-largest economy.

More than 60 per cent of AI professionals surveyed found the implementation of AI systems “very difficult” under the current circumstances, which call for a larger pool of talent and data, according to a report released by technology research firm International Data Corp (IDC) and tech media outlet qbitai.com in December.

Education has been at the forefront of efforts for China to boost its AI industry, as it looks to narrow its talent gap with the US amid a tech war between the world’s two largest economies.