A forum themed “Artificial Intelligence and Digital Ethics” was held on Jan. 31 as a side event during the 2024 World Digital Education Conference (WDEC), which was held Jan. 30–31 in Shanghai. Vice Minister of Education Wang Guangyan emphasized the significant impact of AI on shaping the future of education during his opening remarks at the event.

Wang highlighted the transformative potential of AI in education, emphasizing the importance of using it ethically for the greater good. He reaffirmed China’s commitment to developing a digital education ecosystem founded on ethical principles and technological innovation. He advocated for using AI technology to transform student learning, teaching methods, school management, and educational ecosystems. In addition, the vice minister highlighted the importance of going beyond simple knowledge transfer and focusing on developing advanced skills and well-rounded abilities through digital education. He said this effort should encompass various fields such as science, technology, humanities, and ethics, with the goal of fully harnessing the advantages of AI for both educators and learners.

During the event, keynote speakers covered a range of important subjects. They included changes happening in higher education in the digital age, the future of AI technology, ethical considerations surrounding AI in education, the potential for AI to revolutionize the way we learn, and the various possibilities, challenges, and constraints related to AI teachers.  

The forum brought together over 200 attendees from 60 countries and culminated in the launch of the “Artificial Intelligence Empowering Education” initiative. This initiative represents a collective effort to utilize AI for the betterment of education.