BEIJING, 30th September, 2026 (WAM) -- Artificial intelligence is becoming a new kind of "digital teaching assistant" for students studying traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in China, offering help beyond the classroom.
Led by Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, developers have built a large model incorporating vast TCM knowledge, including classical texts and theories, teaching materials, herbal medicines and prescriptions.
Students can type in a question about how different herbal medicines should be combined, and within seconds, a smartphone can display the logic behind the formula, along with the principles underpinning it.
The university has also developed an embodied intelligent robot capable of demonstrating traditional TCM massage techniques, in a move aimed at enhancing practical training.
Xinhua News Agency quoted Li Ziyuan, a doctoral student at Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, as saying that AI can organise ancient medical texts, analyse the clinical experience of senior TCM practitioners and assist with medication recommendations, thus shortening the learning curve for young physicians.
Huang Luqi, a TCM expert, said AI can systematically capture diagnostic approaches, prescriptions and treatment experience. AI-assisted diagnosis could also make TCM diagnostic information more objective and quantifiable, reducing subjectivity in manual assessment.
China is also making AI part of its national strategy for advancing TCM. A 2026-2030 blueprint calls for greater use of digital and intelligent technologies in TCM and the development of high-quality datasets in this field.