Chongqing - In an era when artificial intelligence (AI) is evolving at an unprecedented pace—from ChatGPT to DeepSeek and the recent buzz around Manus—understanding and utilizing AI has become a universal imperative. 

As Chinese AI companies delve deeply into the rapid development of AI, many universities in China have introduced AI-related courses. Shenzhen University, in collaboration with Tencent Cloud, has launched an AI course based on DeepSeek to help students gain a deeper understanding of AI technology and its applications, promoting AI's deep integration and innovation across various fields. Zhejiang University has also made an online course themed around DeepSeek available to students, faculty, and the general public. Recognizing this trend, Chongqing University has launched a series of AI-powered professional courses, spanning disciplines from science and engineering to the humanities. These courses aim to simplify and enhance the learning experience for students through the integration of AI technologies.

The newly introduced courses include programming techniques (Python-based), cold and heat source engineering, structural mechanics, real estate development and management, scientific translation, bioinformatics, and design fundamentals. These courses leverage AI to provide intelligent teaching assistants, personalized learning experiences, and streamlined workflows, making complex subjects more accessible to students.

AI tools empower beginners to become designers

In the structural mechanics course, the College of Civil Engineering has developed an intelligent interactive platform that integrates digitalization, intelligence, and information technology into teaching. This platform helps students visualize and better understand complex structural analyses. Meanwhile, the bioinformatics course, supported by the Ministry of Education's industry-education collaboration program, incorporates advanced platforms like Hermite® and Bohrium®, which offer integrated tools for bioinformatics and drug design, providing students with a hands-on learning environment.

Demonstration of selected teaching cases using Hermite® platform features. (Photo/Chongqing University)

The AI-enhanced design fundamentals course is particularly groundbreaking. It allows students to bypass the traditionally time-consuming process of learning software modeling, enabling them to focus more on creative design. 

Chen Shixun, a freshman majoring in Visual Communication Design, shared his experience, "AI tools have provided tremendous technical support for my studies. They help me generate innovative ideas, gather references quickly, and significantly reduce the time spent on preliminary design work. This allows me to dedicate more time to actual design or AI-generated art."

Chen also highlighted the accessibility of AI painting tools, which are user-friendly even for beginners. "What fascinates me most is the infinite possibilities AI offers. By simply inputting text, I can generate artwork in various styles. The editing features make creation and design simpler and more versatile, allowing even novices to realize their dreams of becoming designers," he said.

The future of design: elevating aesthetic sensibilities

While AI has undoubtedly streamlined many aspects of design, educators emphasize the growing importance of artistic sensibility and creativity. Xiong Xiqiu, a lecturer for the design fundamentals course at the College of Arts and Design, explained how AI has transformed the design process. For instance, when tasked with illustrating primary school English textbooks, what once took over two years to complete eight volumes was reduced to just two months for two university-level English textbooks, thanks to AI-assisted coloring of hand-drawn sketches.

Similarly, AI has revolutionized 3D modeling. Previously, creating a 3D model of a teapot required a week of manual work. With AI assistance, even first-year students can now complete such models in less than a day without prior expertise in modeling software. This efficiency allows students to focus more on creativity and innovation.

Moreover, the program collaborates with Alibaba Cloud's technology platform, enabling students to collect vast amounts of data and train personalized AI models tailored to their design needs. For example, students can upload patterns from the Chongqing Dayuanxiang Museum to create cross-disciplinary designs, such as cultural products, packaging, illustrations, and animations. These designs can then be transformed into modern-style products like wood carvings, handbags, and silk scarves.

Teaching case demonstration of traditional cloud collar style design based on AIGC. (Photo/Chongqing University)

"AI enhances efficiency and inspires creativity, but it also underscores the importance of individual artistic literacy," Xiong said. She believes that as AI narrows the technical gap among designers, the future of the industry will hinge on creativity and aesthetic judgment. Therefore, students must cultivate their artistic sensibilities, broaden their knowledge across disciplines like literature and philosophy, and develop innovative thinking. "Ultimately, it's about using aesthetic sense to guide AI in producing exceptional designs," she concluded.

As Chongqing University continues to integrate AI into its curriculum, it is clear that the institution is preparing its students not just to adapt to the AI-driven future, but to lead it.