During the "2026 Chongli Forum" on November 12, New Oriental founder Yu Minhong shared his evolving perspective on artificial intelligence. He remarked that while diving into AI as a pure startup venture is far beyond his current reach, he has given considerable thought to how AI can be seamlessly integrated into his existing businesses， from New Oriental's educational environments to the e-commerce operations of East Buy and even the cultural tourism arm.
Yu revealed that he personally uses AI at least 50 times a day on average, relying heavily on large language models for tasks such as drafting content, answering questions, and planning workflows. He pointed out that his support team has shrunk from 20 people to just five， with the other roles now handled by AI. He noted that even an 80-year-old can learn to use artificial intelligence in daily life, underscoring how it has quietly revolutionized work patterns and routines, becoming an indispensable force that will only deepen its influence further.
Yu then posed a thought-provoking question： in a world where AI reaches its full potential, what remains beyond its grasp? For humans， as living beings with emotions, what should we truly focus on? Turning to education， he suggested that AI could soon out-teach average primary and secondary school instructors in terms of lesson delivery. However， he insisted that classroom teachers must remain an indispensable presence because students fundamentally need companionship, emotional backing, personality development, interpersonal interaction, and face-to-face comfort. These are elements that cannot be replicated by machines.
He emphasized that the true purpose of education is to unlock a child's potential and cultivate character. A teacher's role is to awaken the soul and guide growth. Both instructors and pupils should embrace curiosity, resilience, and a collaborative spirit. Yu also criticized the current state of AI-driven educational tools, arguing that Chinese education has become distorted. He attributed rising student depression and emotional instability to an overemphasis on test scores and rote memorization, which have robbed children of their childhood joy, teenagers of their happiness, and young adults of their motivation for romance.
Yu expressed concern that AI is inadvertently exacerbating this trend by making problem-solving too easy for students and lesson preparation too simple for educators. This leads to ever-higher expectations around grades and knowledge breadth. Despite the availability of AI assistance, he noted， students still lack the time to thoroughly solve each problem or memorize every passage. He urged practitioners to consider what problems AI truly addresses. If it merely provides answers to exercises， he advised abandoning the effort， as it does more harm than good. Conversely， if it fosters learning motivation， curiosity， and personal growth， he encouraged scaling up such work enthusiastically.
While embracing AI, Yu warned against its negative side effects. With a single input， the answer appears instantly, and children can complete homework without engaging their brains. Yet， many kids who excel at homework fail exams because no one assists or accompanies them through the problem-solving process when it counts. In education， AI can already handle teaching and assignment grading, saving teachers ample time. Yu argued that this freed-up time should be redirected toward emotional support and inspiring responsibility， which, in his view， is what truly defines a competent educator.