AI applications and overseas AI courses spur new monetisation models

Venture‑capital partner Chi‑Hua Chien of Goodwater Capital says consumer AI applications—not model‑selling businesses—will capture the bulk of long‑term value, noting that past tech cycles saw applications generate trillions of dollars versus a few hundred billion from infrastructure. He points to falling model‑costs, stronger personalization and on‑device AI as drivers, and predicts the performance gap between mobile and cloud models will shrink to about three months within a year. Chien also doubts that U.S. users will accept a single app that blends social media, entertainment and financial services.

Meanwhile, Chinese internet teams are exporting AI‑focused knowledge‑paid products to overseas markets. They repurpose domestic know‑how in traffic acquisition and conversion, packaging low‑price entry kits (e.g., prompt bundles) that funnel users into private groups where higher‑priced AI‑training camps and subscription services are sold for hundreds to thousands of dollars. The model offers high margins and rapid scaling across languages, but faces payment‑gateway risk, refund disputes and tighter consumer‑protection regulation in the U.S., Europe and other regions.