Chinese online tutoring start-up Yuanfudao has announced an AI-powered UI design tool called Motiff, which is scheduled to launch later this year. According to tech media outlet 36Kr, Yuanfudao hopes to position Motiff as the “next generation of Sigma.” The report highlighted that the technologies behind Motiff are being developed by AI Lab, a research institute established by Yuanfudao in collaboration with top Chinese universities including Tsinghua and Peking University in 2014. Yuanfudao has been leveraging AI to power its education products for several years, using it for tasks such as checking arithmetic homework and offering virtual classes. In mid-2022, Yuanfudao restructured its businesses into four major segments – education technology, digital publishing, enterprise services, and new retail – after a regulatory crackdown on the after-school education sector prompted the company to turn its live tutoring business into a non-profit organization. [36Kr, in Chinese]