What kind of people to train, how to train them and for whom to train are the fundamental issues and eternal themes of education. The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in recent years, as exemplified by deep learning and knowledge graphs, has opened up new avenues for innovation in education and modifications to teaching strategies. One of the most crucial subjects in the world of education nowadays is how to employ intelligent technology to encourage students to study intelligently. In the age of AI, smart learning is the fundamental meaning of education. The construction of smart learning models is the key and foundation for implementing smart learning, and it is also a bottleneck issue in research in this field. For the problem that it is difficult to characterize the intrinsic mechanism of intelligent learning, we propose the E-GPPE-C model of intelligent learning by utilizing AI technology, which can explain the operation mechanism, elements and characteristics of intelligent learning. Learning environment, learning route, learning assessment, learner image, educational knowledge map, as well as learning community make up the model. The base layer, service layer, support layer, application layer and key layer are all included in the model at the same time. We suggested the implementation approach of E-GPPE-C model from four perspectives: learning path suggestion, learner picture construction, learning community construction, and educational knowledge graph construction. These methods are based on algorithms linked to AI. The findings of this study lay the groundwork for the development of smart learning and the use of AI in the field of education, and provide a reference for subsequent research on smart learning models.