The Role of Artificial Intelligence in History Education of Chinese High Schools

Abstract

As human civilization confronts the Artificial Intelligence era, humans will inevitably face a society dominated by intelligent robots. For them, the urgency of the moment is to consider how to prepare for that day. Education is among the various factors influenced by artificial intelligence. Many fields of research have branched into the changes AI made to education systems. Simultaneously, the enhancement of social competition in China in recent years has brought test-oriented education to people’s attention. Studies have shown that although beneficial in some respects, such a way of educating kids has not only threatened their physical and mental health, but also impaired the development of their individuality. In fact, from the past to now, Chinese students engage more in superficial learning than deep learning, which is suggested partly by the way history is being taught and learned in high schools. However, scholars have suggested that in an intelligent machine-dominated future society, creativity and independent thinking skills gained from deep learning will be crucial for an individual’s survival. As AI is gradually being introduced in history learning, there rises a question of how its use in history education may influence the way students view this subject. This paper begins by briefly introducing artificial intelligence's stages of development and its current state in China. Then, it will state such technology's application in historical education and will set a comparison between the millionaire generation and the 70 generation's view on high school history education. The participants of the interview were also been encouraged to share their opinions on AI’s role in teaching and learning history. This evidence, therefore, helps to bring out the advantages and disadvantages of such an application of this technology.