AI + Education: The Emergence of 'Digital Human University'
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Recently, at East China Normal University, a robotic dog achieved human-like visual navigation without any external memory or computing units. Its core is a brain-inspired vision demonstration chip that integrates detection, storage, and information processing, enabling the device not only to 'see' but also to 'think' like a human brain, making intelligent judgments about what it observes.
Artificial intelligence is transforming research paradigms. East China Normal University is leveraging its self-developed AI platform to drive paradigm shifts, from brain-inspired chip development to the construction of a 'Digital Human University' and intelligent education applications, accelerating the creation of groundbreaking innovations.
Smart Hardware Systems Based on Novel Materials
"OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, was estimated to consume electricity equivalent to 175,000 households in January this year," said Dr. Tian Bobo, a postdoctoral researcher in Professor Duan Chungang's brain-inspired research team. "In contrast, the human brain consumes less than 20 watts—just a bowl of noodles can fuel an afternoon of study and work." The brain-inspired chip in the robotic dog is not even silicon-based but relies on a novel material system—ferroelectric materials. Unlike traditional digital computers, Professor Duan's team is developing brain-inspired hardware composed of electronic neurons and synapses, mimicking the human brain's functioning. This approach has the potential to address AI's computational and energy challenges, aligning with China's 14th Five-Year Plan for technological breakthroughs.
Professor Duan's team found that ferroelectric materials exhibit characteristics and mechanisms strikingly similar to the 'weight gradient' regulation process of biological neuron synapses, offering advantages such as high speed, low energy consumption, and fatigue resistance. This makes them one of the most promising pathways for brain-inspired hardware. The team leads the newly established Shanghai Research Center for Brain-Inspired Materials and Devices, supported by major projects under Shanghai Zhangjiang National Innovation Demonstration Zone. Further optimization of brain-inspired vision chips could enable applications in smart security, intelligent buildings, micro-robots, autonomous driving, and drones.
'Digital Human University' Reshapes Education
From hardware to software, AI is not only impacting researchers in higher education but also reshaping the educational process.
Academician Qian Xuhong, President of East China Normal University, stated, "We may soon establish the world's first 'Digital Human' education platform—the Digital Human University. It will adopt interdisciplinary approaches spanning humanities, sciences, and engineering, deeply integrating virtual and real-world elements to set key technical standards for digital humans, build standardized applications and databases, and refine the 'digital intelligence' evaluation and governance system."
While global tech giants are developing their own 'digital human' platforms, East China Normal University pioneered the concept of 'digital humans' three years ago in its interdisciplinary project 'International Frontiers of Chinese Philosophy and Social Science Research,' combining education, management, psychology, big data, and computer science. This year, the university's Metaverse and Digital Human Lab collaborated with SMG's Media Convergence Center to produce China's first metaverse news program, Good Morning Metaverse, recognized as an "Innovative and Excellent Program" by the National Radio and Television Administration in Q1 2023.
On campus, high-fidelity digital avatars of real professors are already being used to intelligently generate teaching videos, such as the data analysis course for the Ministry of Education's Industry-Education Collaboration Program. Professor Kuai Shuguang from the School of Psychology and Cognitive Science focuses on human-like AI algorithm design. Building on 'AI for Science (AI4S),' he proposed 'AI for Social Science (AI4SS),' where AI-driven 'new humans' with digital intelligence could form virtual societies through algorithmic models, significantly impacting the development of humanities and social sciences.
Pioneering Large Language Models in Educational Tutoring
AI + education is not a simple addition but a geometric multiplier. As general AI accelerates its integration across industries, the industrial-era model of mass standardized education is shifting toward large-scale personalized talent development, calling for innovative and high-quality educational models.
In the construction of intelligent education disciplines, the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission has partnered with East China Normal University to establish the Shanghai Institute of Intelligent Education. The 'East China Normal University Intelligent Education Laboratory' has been selected as one of the first batch of Philosophy and Social Sciences Laboratories (Pilot) by the Ministry of Education, with intelligent education becoming a Category IV peak discipline in Shanghai. It is reported that East China Normal University has developed China's first comprehensive evaluation framework for large model educational capabilities and created the country's first large language model specifically for the education sector, 'EduChat'. Meanwhile, the university's 'Little Flower Lion Intelligent Essay Tutoring System', which integrates generative large language model technology, has successfully achieved comprehensive intelligent evaluation and feedback for essays from third to ninth grade in primary and secondary schools.
'The rapid iterative development of AI large models presents both challenges and opportunities for universities like ours that excel in education disciplines, fundamental arts and sciences, and information technology. We must courageously explore cutting-edge technologies and their multifaceted impacts on educational models and research paradigms,' said Mei Bing, Party Secretary of East China Normal University. She added that the university is currently focusing on building a new development pattern that integrates excellence in education, academic research, and services, aiming to explore new pathways and make new contributions to the implementation of national strategies for rejuvenating the country through science and education, strengthening the nation through talent, and innovation-driven development.