BEIJING: East China’s Zhejiang Province has launched a four-month artificial intelligence (AI) training initiative for local government officials, featuring 10 expert-led lectures. The program aims to enhance officials’ AI literacy and equip them with the skills to navigate rapid socio-economic and industrial transformations, fostering smarter governance.
The special training on AI fundamentals and applications was officially launched on Tuesday evening at the Party School of Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in Hangzhou, capital city of Zhejiang. The initiative aims to enhance AI proficiency among local officials, enabling them to integrate AI into governance.
Running until June, the training will feature industry experts, scholars, and tech entrepreneurs who will explore AI from multiple angles, including general knowledge, industry applications, policy frameworks, and case studies. Sessions will also offer hands-on instruction on AI large models like DeepSeek, helping officials align AI strategies with Zhejiang’s landscape.
The first lecture was given by Wang Jian, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and president of Zhijiang Lab, who delivered a lecture titled “Global AI Development Trends from the Perspective of DeepSeek.”
Wang provided an in-depth analysis of AI advancements, industry applications, and global AI ecosystems, according to the official WeChat account of the Organization Department of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee.
The training adopts a combination of both online and offline lecturing formats for officials at provincial and city levels to attend in person or through the internet. The opening session attracted 296,000 online attendees and garnered 432,000 online interactions, Zhejiang Daily reported.
The officials who attended the first lecture expressed their commitment to deepening their understanding of AI fundamentals and development trends, continuously raising their AI literacy and strengthening skills to keep pace with AI advancements.
Hu, a faculty member at the Party School of Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the CPC, emphasized that mastering AI is crucial for government officials to enhance governance capabilities in the face of rapid socio-economic and industrial changes.
As an educator, Hu noted that a deeper understanding of AI would enable him to design more effective courses that integrate theoretical and practical applications, ultimately enhancing students’ learning experiences.
Prior to this training program, multiple places across Zhejiang had already introduced specialized AI training programs for officials, The Paper reported.
On March 3, Beilun district in Ningbo city held a DeepSeek AI training conference, with over 200 participants from more than 70 government agencies, community leaders, political advisors, and business representatives.
Additional DeepSeek and AI training sessions were held in Wenzhou on March 5 aand Huzhou on March 10, each drawing hundreds of participants, according to The Paper.
–The Daily Mail-Global Times news exchange item
