Caixin News Agency, December 9th - Open Source Securities released a report stating that OpenAI's new product launch event will strengthen applications in the education field, and Duolingo's new AI function will be launched. (1) OpenAI has been intensively promoting new product launches for 12 consecutive days. On Day 1, a fully functional version of o1 was launched and ChatGPTPro was introduced for the first time, priced at $200 per month. Users have a strong willingness to pay for AI features. The fully functional version O1 provides "research grade intelligence" tailored to the needs of professionals such as researchers and engineers. The new model performs particularly well in math competitions, programming challenges, and doctoral level scientific problems. (2) Duolingo's third quarter report exceeded expectations, and its stock price surged 22% after the quarterly report. In the third quarter of 2024, the number of paying users in Duolingo increased by 48% year-on-year, reaching 8.6 million, and AI functions helped clear the path for high growth of paying users. In September, Duolingo launched two paid features, AI driven Video Call and Adventure, to drive a high increase in Max membership users with high customer orders. Regular membership is $12.99/month, Max membership is $29.99/month, and as of the second quarter of 2024, Max features will be open to 15% of users.
Domestic policies frequently support the popularization of AI education, and ByteDance is leading the trend of AI learning. (1) The Ministry of Education encourages primary and secondary schools to incorporate AI education into after-school services. On December 3rd, the General Office of the Ministry of Education issued a notice to strengthen AI education in primary and secondary schools, encouraging schools in various regions to include AI education in after-school service projects and research and learning practices. The total talent gap in the field of artificial intelligence in China is up to 5 million, and the strategic reserve of artificial intelligence talents is the top priority of education. (2) Doubao leads the rapid popularization of educational AI among parents and students. The Doubao APP under ByteDance integrates various functions such as chatbots, writing assistants, and English learning assistants. Currently, the monthly active users have reached 70 million, moving towards the goal of 100 million. Dou Bao has launched an educational vertical app called Dou Bao Love Learning, which covers English oral practice, comprehensive Q&A, immersive reading of classic literature, and accelerates the popularization of AI learning for lower grade parents and students. NetEase Youdao has also launched apps such as Hi Echo and Little P Teacher to fully follow up.