At the 2026 Chongli Forum, New Oriental founder Yu Minhong stated, "For the AI experts and young entrepreneurs present, if you are interested in the relatively public welfare-oriented field of rural education, our investment seeks no return; we only hope to provide relevant services to every rural child under low-cost conditions. Interested individuals can connect with me; I am willing to work together to advance this cause."
He further elaborated, "Whether it's through investment or establishing a dedicated public welfare fund pool, both are possible. We can set up special topics to explore how artificial intelligence can assist rural primary and secondary schools. New Oriental's funds are not capable of developing large-scale models—they would be exhausted in a single day—but when it comes to combining AI in specific vertical sectors to do things that are useful for ordinary people, we are certainly capable of that."
Yu Minhong also revealed, "Beyond applying AI in the education sector, we are also exploring its use in e-commerce. Dongfang Zhenxuan (Oriental Selection) is not purely an e-commerce platform; it has been product-centric from the start. In the future, we will explore how to use AI within Dongfang Zhenxuan's value chain to help frontline farmers increase their income and control product quality. Additionally, in the cultural tourism sector, how to use AI to help middle-aged and elderly people live their remaining years more happily is an issue I have been repeatedly contemplating, although these thoughts have not yet reached any conclusions."
"Today, my main purpose is to appeal to all you technologically advanced young people: if you are interested in the three areas of rural education, AI for agriculture, and AI for elderly care, you can come to me. I am willing to develop together with you. You have the expertise, and I have the resources. This way, so-called 'older people' like us can connect with the younger generation," Yu Minhong expressed.
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