by Xinhua Writer Wang Aihua

BEIJING, June 11 (Xinhua) -- From North America to Southeast Asia, AI-powered online tutoring apps developed by Chinese companies are gaining more popularity due to expanding local user base and rising demands for homework help.

The QuestionAI app, for example, is an AI-powered helper and summarizer that offers answers and solutions to questions related to math, biology and other disciplines. According to SensorTower, a global provider of mobile app data and analyses, QuestionAI has been downloaded six million times in the United States since its launch a year ago by Zuoyebang, a leading education tech firm in China.

Gauth, another tutor app launched by Chinese tech firm ByteDance in 2019 in the United States, has been installed 12 million times. Data from Qimai.cn, a mobile product analysis platform, showed the download of Gauth surged 14 times within three months from beginning of this year.

"Jessica Budzynski," a Gauth user, lauded the platform for its accurate answers and step-by-step solutions, while even offering videos, for all kind of subjects.

In addition to convenience, users also attribute popularity of these apps to their cost-effectiveness, personalized approaches to teaching and around-the-clock live tutoring.

The official website of Gauth shows the app is free to download, providing access to AI-powered math solutions. For enhanced services like more expert interactions, in-app purchases are available, including Gauth Plus memberships and additional expert answering opportunities. The subscription fee for Gauth Plus memberships ranges from 11.99 U.S. dollars for the first month to 99.99 dollars for 12 months.

User "Sam Ul" missed two weeks of school but managed to work his grades back up to A+ with the help of QuestionAI. He commented that the cost of subscription is very low and "totally worth what you are getting."

Industry insiders say Chinese technology firms are expanding into international online education markets motivated by several compelling factors: high growth potential, broader user base, opportunistic market niches, and global expansion readiness.

ClassIn, an app developed by Chinese firm EEO, provides a one-stop solution to users' learning and management needs by re-creating a physical classroom online. The company told Xinhua that with global demand for online education on the rise, overseas markets present significant opportunities for business expansion and revenue growth.

Phyllis Zhang, globalization director of EEO, which has so far expanded its presence to eight international markets, said entering foreign markets allows Chinese tech companies to access a larger and more diverse user base and seize unique opportunities to capture and dominate specific market niches.

Chinese companies' competitive edge in overseas markets is underpinned by cutting-edge technological capabilities, dynamic approach to innovation, experiences in a competitive domestic market and robust and scalable educational technologies, meaning they can be expanded and adapted to different market sizes and needs without losing functionality or effectiveness, Zhang said.

However, significant challenges remain for Chinese companies to expand globally, particularly in product localization and managing multinational teams, which require sophisticated strategies in international human resources management and local consumer behavior understanding, Zhang added.

Education experts have also voiced concerns that early exposure to AI can cost students the ability to think and explore as they get used to the convenience of learning provided by AI.

Huang Changqin, director of the Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Intelligent Education Technology and Application in east China, proposed supervision on AI education devices to ensure that students get better quality education.

Liu Weibing, a middle school teacher in Beijing, suggested that teachers and parents encourage students to first rely on themselves when trying to solve homework problems, only turning to AI for occasional help when necessary.

Efforts are also urged to inform children of the importance of intellectual property protection and code of ethics while quoting or referring to learning materials using AI tools. Enditem

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