Education is in the spotlight nationwide this week, with NCEA changes coming in 2026 on many Coastie parents’ minds.

Professor Danping Wang is on a mission to future-proof language learning.

The University of Auckland scholar, who leads the Chinese programme, says artificial intelligence is already reshaping classrooms worldwide and New Zealand cannot afford to lag behind.

After hosting an AI-and-languages conference at the University in January, Wang redesigned her courses so students use tools such as ChatGPT, Claude and Canva to create projects instead of sitting memory-based exams.

“Assignments are now creative and useful beyond the grade,” she says.

One student even produced a picture book with AI that delighted children at a local early childhood centre.

Associate Professor Danping Wang.

Wang’s data show grades and confidence rise when AI supports vocabulary and grammar practice.

She also uses the technology to generate level-specific resources in minutes, a task that once took hours.

The stakes, she argues, go beyond tertiary halls.

Beijing will make AI lessons compulsory in all schools from September, giving learners there an eight-hour annual head start.

“When our students work in East Asia, AI is normal. We must catch up,” she says.

Wang is surveying teachers nationwide with the New Zealand Association of Language Teachers and running workshops in the University’s new AI lab.

She wants schools and tutors on board, especially to ensure Māori and Pacific language communities are not left out.

“AI isn’t just coming, it’s already here. Our job now is to shape how it’s used, and who it serves.”

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