Chinese schools are testing the SPARK AI Grader P30 system: an AI-based device that checks homework, tests and exams. Teachers simply upload a stack of notebooks, and the machine recognises handwritten text, analyses answers and assigns grades according to specified criteria.

The system can check a class of 40 students in about three minutes. The AI takes into account writing style, typical school mistakes and logical reasoning, and can also flag work done with the help of neural networks. Schools hope that such technologies will reduce the workload on teachers and give them more time for live communication with children