China Sees Surge of Edtech Investments With Focus on Artificial Intelligence - Karma

China's push to become a world tech power, which has paid off with advances in telecommunications, batteries and robots, is yielding further results -- it's taken a leadership position in A.I. powered education investments. The country is among the most-active regions for artificial intelligence-powered edtech investments, with K-12 classes, foreign language study and high-quality education getting the most attention, according to a Deloitte report released this week. Almost 20% of all education deals in the country last year involved AI compared with 4% in 2016, Deloitte said. "Although China is a late-comer in AI-based education, its unique advantages in application and implementation make it one of the most popular regions for investment in AI-based education globally," the report said. The report singled out what it sees as the next big opportunity in edtech: so-called soft skill-focused "quality education," similar to the west's STEAM model, which adds art to the original emphasis on science, technology, engineering and math.