On 29 May 2026 the Cyberspace Administration of China, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security jointly issued the 2026 Work Points on Improving Digital Literacy and Skills for All, deploying six areas and fifteen priority tasks. Although framed around “digital literacy for all”, two parts relate directly to the AI sector.
Six areas and fifteen tasks
The six areas are: improving the digital-literacy cultivation system, deepening digital application scenarios, improving AI literacy for all, promoting inclusive digital development, building a safe and orderly cyberspace, and strengthening coordinated working mechanisms.
The third area, “improving AI literacy for all”, contains three tasks: strengthening AI-enabled education, accelerating AI talent cultivation and deepening AI popularisation and application. The fifth area, “building a safe and orderly cyberspace”, includes “promoting the safe and standardised development of AI”.
What “improving AI literacy for all” means
The three tasks point at the supply side of AI capability: education, talent and application.
“Strengthening AI-enabled education” echoes the parallel Reference Framework on AI Ethics in Education — pushing AI into classrooms while drawing ethical boundaries for education scenarios. For edtech companies, products gain policy encouragement and clearer design requirements at once.
“Accelerating AI talent cultivation” points to talent policy. Companies building AI talent-introduction and training systems may follow the related measures.
“Deepening AI popularisation and application” continues the direction of the “AI Plus” initiative, as set out in the three ministries’ opinion on AI agents.
Where “safe and standardised development of AI” lands
The fifth area embeds safe and standardised AI development within a “safe and orderly cyberspace”, showing that AI governance is considered within the overall framework of cyberspace governance. This sits on the same line as the full-chain ethical and security boundaries set by the AI Application Ethics and Security Guideline 1.0 and the enforcement stance of the Qinglang action on AI application disorder.
Three pointers for companies
First, demand-side change from rising AI literacy. As AI literacy rises across the population, users’ understanding and expectations of AI products rise in step, and explainability and notice duties draw more attention.
Second, education and human-resources scenarios are policy-favoured. AI companies in education and vocational training can align product and training design with the document’s direction.
Third, safe and standardised development remains the baseline. While encouraging popularisation, policy stresses “safe and standardised”, so compliance capability should be part of product capability.
For support on AI product compliance, education-scenario data compliance and policy engagement, see data compliance services and algorithm filing services.
This article is based on public information on the four ministries’ Work Points of 29 May 2026, for reference only and not legal advice.