Mai Jia, a deputy to the National People's Congress and vice-chairman of the China Writers Association, has called for the establishment of a screen-free reading day, saying that the rise of artificial intelligence makes it more important to preserve independent thinking.

Mai made the remarks on March 11 during the ongoing national legislative session.

The "Regulation on Promoting Nationwide Reading" took effect on Feb 1, 2026, providing a legal framework to encourage reading across society.

Mai said that while artificial intelligence brings convenience, it should not become a substitute for human thought. Reliance on AI could weaken deep reading, deep thinking, and ultimately the capacity for original creation, he said.