HANGZHOU, April 15 (Xinhua) -- East China's Zhejiang Province, a hub of technological innovation, is ramping up efforts to enhance the digital competence of its officials by inviting prominent artificial intelligence (AI) entrepreneurs to provide training programs.

On April 10, Wang Xingxing, founder of robotics startup Unitree Robotics, delivered an online lecture to civil servants across Zhejiang on the present and future of robotics and AI.

In his lecture, Wang introduced the development path of Unitree Robotics and the significance of humanoid robots in modern society. He also shared insights into cutting-edge trends in intelligent robotics, sparking strong interest among officials.

Unitree Robotics' stunning videos have garnered widespread attention on social media, showcasing wheel-legged robots climbing hills and humanoid robots performing martial arts moves, including punches and backflips.

Officials across Zhejiang responded positively to Wang's engaging lecture. Jiang Chengtuan, head of the Jinhua Talent Development Group Co., Ltd. in the city of Jinhua, watched the lecture alongside nearly 200 other individuals in a local conference hall.

"It broke our outdated perception of robots as mere tools on factory lines. Now we see their immense potential in the future society," he said.

Feng Ling, an official from the data bureau of Changxing County in the city of Huzhou, emphasized the importance of AI literacy. "Learning about AI is no longer optional, it's essential. I look forward to using tools like DeepSeek to streamline administrative tasks, conduct data analysis, and support smarter policymaking."

Since March, Zhejiang has been offering an online training program designed to enhance both general and applied AI knowledge among officials at all levels. The program has already included lectures by leading scholars and experts from tech giants like Huawei and Alibaba Cloud.

Topics covered in the lecture series include "Understanding AI Development Through DeepSeek," "Large Language Models" and "Computing Infrastructure for AI."

The program will span around 10 sessions, offering in-depth knowledge of AI and hands-on training in using tools like DeepSeek.

This AI training push is not limited to Zhejiang. Across the country, other local governments are also taking proactive steps to equip their officials with AI skills.

In Jishan County of north China's Shanxi Province, for example, a lecture titled "Principles of DeepSeek Application and Empowering Government Efficiency" was recently held in a conference hall accommodating over 100 participants.

"The more precise and detailed the prompts we give to AI assistants, the more powerful the algorithms and computing resources they can leverage," said Xue Gaofeng, director of the county's media service guidance center.

He noted that the session offered participants a preliminary understanding of how to "tame" AI tools, enabling them to better support grassroots governance.

The initiative coincides with the increasing adoption of DeepSeek-powered AI services in multiple cities nationwide, which serves to both enhance governance and streamline urban management.

For instance, integrating DeepSeek in the "12345" public service hotline has increased data processing efficiency by 20-fold in northeast China's Liaoning Province.

Moreover, this year's government work report also reaffirmed China's commitment to accelerating the development of a digital government, vowing to refine the integrated national online platform for government services.

"Integrating AI models like DeepSeek into government services will enhance public service efficiency through content generation and intelligent interaction, advancing the modernization of the urban system and capacity for governance," said Wu Yiping, a professor at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics.

However, as AI-driven governance expands, experts say that challenges related to data security, privacy protection and ethical considerations remain crucial.

"We should be mindful of the boundaries of AI applications to prevent over-reliance and systemic risks following the integration of AI into government systems," said Wu Shenkuo, deputy director of the research center of the Internet Society of China.

"The ethical risks and fairness concerns arising from AI-assisted governance decisions also require a careful and comprehensive assessment," Wu added. Enditem

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