On January 24, Yuan Minhong, the founder of New Oriental, shared in-depth insights on artificial intelligence and educational transformation at the 2026 Chongli Forum. He stated that with the continuous advancement of AI technology, the education model is undergoing a fundamental shift from knowledge delivery to emotional companionship. If measured by the standards of "future teachers," more than half of the primary and secondary school teachers in China are currently facing the risk of being "unqualified."

AI Education Speech Artificial Intelligence (3)

The Essence of Education in the Age of AI

Yuan Minhong reviewed the three transformations of education from the "blackboard era" to the "AI era." He pointed out that AI has already completed nearly 100% of basic teaching tasks such as English communication and grading, greatly liberating productivity. In terms of knowledge acquisition, he revealed that the density of learning through large models has exceeded the total of the past 20 years in just two years.

Therefore, Yuan Minhong believes that the core function of teachers must evolve from "knowledge deliverers" to "soul awakeners." The essence of future education lies in stimulating students' intrinsic motivation, curiosity, and sound personality, which are emotional and intellectual companionships that no technology can replace.

The "Role Evolution" of Teachers and Parents

Regarding the current situation, Yuan Minhong pointed out sharply that many teachers still spend 90% of their energy on knowledge transmission, and even lose control when they cannot answer students' questions, which does not align with future trends. He called on teachers to acquire broader and deeper knowledge together with students.