On April 16, the China public diplomacy association held the“Linjia No. 7 Salon” with the theme of“Global Digital Intelligence Revolution driven by artificial intelligence: Opportunities and challenges” in Beijing. In his keynote speech, Professor NI Mingxuan, founding president of the Hong Kong University of Science and technology (Guangzhou) , held an in-depth discussion on the development of artificial intelligence (AI-RRB- industry, educational reform and global governance. Dozens of journalists from Chinese and foreign media attended the meeting.
Professor ni Mingxuan is a Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Fellow of the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering. He has conducted research in high performance computing, big data, wireless networks and pervasive computing. In his keynote speech, Ni discussed the development status and future trends of artificial intelligence and computer science, as well as key issues such as the specific characteristics of the new stage of global AI competition.
In his speech, ni noted that DeepSeek has significantly reduced the cost of large-scale model applications, further stimulated the enthusiasm of Chinese people for Innovation and entrepreneurship, and made a unique contribution to promoting global artificial intelligence change. He said that in the new round of global scientific and technological revolution led by artificial intelligence, China has formed an active innovation ecology with a trinity of policy, market and scientific research, china’s huge market and application scenarios have effectively leveraged hundreds of billions of dollars of capital into the construction of artificial intelligence infrastructure.
On issues such as competitive gaming and governance in the global artificial intelligence industry, NI stressed that, “Building a walled garden and beggaring our neighbours is not the way out. Sticking to open exchanges and achieving Pratt & Whitney’s inclusive and balanced development is the right choice.”
When discussing the application of artificial intelligence in education, ni said AI is reshaping traditional education models and pushing the education system in a more innovative direction. He said future education should focus more on developing students’ relevant knowledge and skills, breaking the traditional academic framework, promoting disciplinary integration, updating the knowledge system, and enabling global exchanges and cooperation.
During the interactive session, journalists from China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Rwanda and Zimbabwe exchanged views on various topics, it includes helping developing countries to break through development barriers, coping strategies of universities and research institutions in the face of technological constraints, the introduction of relevant technical talents by enterprises, and the impact of AI on the media industry.
A reporter asked if China’s technological development will be hindered by US tariffs and regulations, which limit the exchange of talent and technology between the two countries? How should colleges and universities and scientific research institutions respond? Ni said many things had already been banned, including some high-end laboratory equipment, before the United States raised tariffs. “There is no denying that it will have an impact on us in the short term, but we are confident that we can cope. Faced with some equipment that can not be imported, as a scientific research university, our teachers began to think of ways to solve the problem themselves, such as choosing related replacement products from home. At the same time, this forces us to develop products that we didn’t make before because they were available, and now we’re doing them ourselves, semiconductors, materials, energy, software, AI, and now we’re building on existing devices. In robotics, for example, we’ve found that ‘being forced to do it’ has led to more breakthroughs than ever before, and some new patents. So we can say that it is these difficulties that push us forward. “Chinese students are very smart and have very good qualities, and given the opportunity and time, they can do very well.”
Sufficient overseas talents are crucial for China to build its international competitiveness in artificial intelligence. How do you view China’s efforts to attract science and technology talents? Ni told a reporter from the global times that, “Attracting talent is our number one priority and one of the things we set out to do was to attract talent. High-tech companies are doing the same, attracting global talent to work for them. It can be said that there is a global war for artificial intelligence. start-ups need talent support. We encourage and support start-ups to develop near our schools. Our teachers and students are also active in establishing links with some enterprises in China, which can quickly translate research results. On the other hand, it also helps us to further integrate research topics with real needs. It creates a good cycle of talent, research and funding between schools and companies.”
At present, the problem of“Illusion” can not be completely avoided in large models at home and abroad. Is there a way to crack or suppress“Illusion” from the perspective of technology and algorithm? In response to a question from the global times, ni said it was difficult to avoid large-scale“Hallucination” problems related to probabilities and biased data. First, cross-reference different large models. Secondly, it is necessary to verify whether the reasoning process of the large model is reasonable. Third, give full play to the role and value of people in the above process. In areas such as artistic creation, “Illusions” can sometimes lead to unexpected inspirations and“Beautiful mistakes”, says ni.
Zimbabwean journalist asks: who should own the copyright to AI-generated content? The patent disputes of some enterprises highlight the blankness of relevant laws. Ni says this is a classic conundrum on the cutting edge. Think of AI as a ‘digital colleague’? the result is a collaboration between algorithms and humans. “Our policy is that all research using AI should clearly mark the contribution of the tool.”
Ni stressed the importance of artificial intelligence as an important tool for progress that is accessible to all. “All the technological progress we make is for the world and should not be monopolized by a few countries. We should let AI benefit the whole human society, otherwise the gap between countries in the world will further widen.”
Facing the challenges of the era brought by artificial intelligence, Ni advised professionals to actively learn and adapt to new technologies to remain competitive. He called for continued global cooperation and dialogue to build an era of smart technology for good.
“Linjia No. 7 Salon” is organized by China Public Diplomacy Association. We invite guests to interact with Chinese and foreign journalists on hot topics from time to time.