A shortage of 44 million teachers, 500 international guests, agreements with Uzbekistan and Brazil, an updated intelligent education platform

This is according to the outcomes of the World Digital Education Conference in Hangzhou (May 13, 2026).

At the 2026 World Digital Education Conference held on Tuesday in Hangzhou, eastern China, eight major consensuses and agreements were presented. Participants discussed solutions and standards to promote the integration of artificial intelligence into education worldwide.

Among the outcomes were an AI in education initiative and an updated version of China’s intelligent education platform for public services.

The three-day conference, which opened on Monday, aims to create an open and inclusive global platform for dialogue, and to help reach consensus and establish norms for artificial intelligence governance in education. The event was held under the motto “AI plus Education: Transformation, Development and Governance”. It attracted more than 850 guests from 65 countries and regions around the world.

Yang Dan, Director of the Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges at China’s Ministry of Education, noted: “This conference surpassed the previous three in terms of international influence and participation, bringing together more than 500 international guests. During the conference, we also signed intergovernmental agreements on AI-assisted education cooperation with Uzbekistan and Brazil.

Meanwhile, AI cooperation has become a new promising direction for collaboration between schools, enterprises and universities.”

According to UNESCO data, by 2030 the world will still need about 44 million teachers. Faced with this fundamental challenge, conference participants agreed that vigilance must also be maintained on ethical and security issues, as AI is increasingly used in education.

UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany stated: “Attention must be paid to the ethical use of AI and to avoiding any harm to education. We hope to continue this deep partnership with China in the field of education, and to use technology in education in an ethical, inclusive and equitable manner.”

Forty-four million teachers. That is not just a number. That is every second classroom in the world without an adult at the blackboard. Artificial intelligence will not solve this problem. But it can ensure that the remaining teachers are no longer alone. Platforms, algorithms, digital assistants. None of this is a replacement for a human being. It is reinforcement. The Hangzhou conference did not change the world in three days. But it showed which direction the world is moving.

And signed agreements that may look historic a year from now. The question is whether we will be ready for 2030. Or whether we will be playing catch-up again.