Chinese universities scrap arts degrees citing AI advancement
April 6, 2026
Al Jazeera English
China's Central Academy of Fine Arts has scrapped degrees in translation, photography and illustration, saying artificial intelligence makes them a waste of resources. The move is part of a government push to align higher education with strategic industries like robotics and semiconductors. Universities are launching hybrid programmes combining creative training with AI skills, as new roles such as prompt engineers emerge in the film and animation sectors.
More than 12 million students graduated in China last year, many struggling to find jobs in a rapidly changing labour market. Al Jazeera's Katrina Yu reports from Beijing. Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on X: https://X.com/AJEnglish Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/ Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/ Download AJE Mobile App: https://aje.news/AJEMobile #ChinaEducation #ArtificialIntelligence #UniversityDegrees #Translation #Photography #CreativeIndustries #HumanMachineCooperation #AIRevolution #JobMarket #Beijing #Robotics #Semiconductors #FutureOfWork
Al Jazeera English
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