China university scraps AI feature tracking students' attentiveness after privacy backlash

A leading Chinese university has withdrawn a controversial feature of its artificial intelligence-powered classroom monitoring system following public outrage over concerns about student privacy and digital surveillance. Nanjing University in Jiangsu province faced criticism after screenshots of its upgraded “smart classroom” system surfaced online. The images showed live classroom footage alongside data tracking attendance, late arrivals and a metric called the “head-up rate”, which was used to measure whether students were paying attention during lectures.

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What triggered the backlash?

The screenshots went viral, triggering concerns over the use of facial recognition technology and the extent to which universities could monitor students without their consent.

The “head-up rate”, known as taitou lu in Chinese, measures whether students are looking towards the lecturer or are distracted by their phones, laptops or other activities.

In a statement posted on its official social media account, Nanjing University clarified that the viral images were taken during a system trial in May. It said the technology did not collect facial or other biometric data, or conduct facial recognition during teaching activities without authorisation. The university also confirmed that the system would no longer calculate the “head-up rate”.

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How does the AI system work?

The university reportedly activated the upgraded smart classroom system in the first week of November. It uses classroom cameras and AI algorithms to automate attendance records, count people and monitor classroom activity. Some teachers reportedly warned students that attendance records could affect their grades and, in certain cases, determine whether they were allowed to sit for examinations. A tender notice on the university's website showed that the project cost more than 30 million yuan (around $4.5 million). It involved upgrading equipment and installing new facilities in more than 100 classrooms and several public areas on one campus.

Students raise privacy concerns

Some students told local media that they were uncomfortable with the possibility of their biometric information being collected and shared with the university or private technology companies. They also questioned why students had not been consulted before the system was introduced. A faculty member told the South China Morning Post that the system was primarily intended to assess teaching performance rather than monitor individual students. The university said the broader upgrade was designed to improve classroom audiovisual facilities, support live-streaming and cross-campus interaction, and enable lessons to be recorded and reused. The controversy has renewed debate in China over the growing use of AI in education and the need for transparency, consent and safeguards against intrusive digital monitoring.