Children in a classroom in Zhouzhi County, Shaanxi Province, were thrilled to interact with an intelligent robot in Mandarin on August 18, exclaiming, "The robot can understand Mandarin too!" This was part of a social practice initiative carried out from August 11 to 19 by the Yiqi "AI" volunteer team from Suzhou Chien-Shiung Institute of Technology, who traveled over a thousand miles to the region. The team aimed to inject new digital momentum into rural revitalization by merging technology with Mandarin promotion, benefiting over 500 grassroots residents and children.

The volunteers skillfully integrated their professional expertise with local community needs during the activities. At the Zhouzhi County Vocational Art School, they first gained an in-depth understanding of Qinqiang opera culture, then exchanged ideas with teachers on using digital humans and AI to narrate Qinqiang stories, making Mandarin promotion efforts more engaging. At a rural primary school, students from the School of Artificial Intelligence conducted AIGC practice sessions, guiding local youth to generate digital artworks using Mandarin voice commands. In local communities, the team offered training sessions for staff on AI-powered office tools and provided hands-on assistance to elderly residents, helping them master smartphone usage and AI interactions to bridge the digital divide.

From the opera stage to science and technology classrooms, and then to community service hubs, the Chien-Shiung youth brought their classroom learning to the frontlines. As part of the coordinating team for the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League's 2026 "Thousand Groups, Ten Thousand People Mandarin Promotion for a Strong Nation" national college summer social practice volunteer service initiative, they used their professional skills to open up the "last mile" of digital services in grassroots areas.