Fri, 28 Aug
|Hong Kong Jockey Club Hall
The AI Odyssey: Shaping the Future of Humanity
[ASHK Program] Join us for a timely conversation with Dr. Ya-Qin Zhang on AI's future and US-China competition.
Time & Location
28 Aug 2026, 5:30 pm – 6:45 pm
Hong Kong Jockey Club Hall, 9 Justice Dr, Admiralty, Hong Kong
About the event
⊹ This is a public ASHK program offering complimentary tickets to ELA students.
The AI Odyssey: Shaping the Future of Humanity
As debate intensifies over open versus closed AI models, frontier capabilities, and governance of increasingly powerful systems, Dr. Ya-Qin Zhang, Chair Professor of AI Science at Tsinghua University and Founding Dean of the Institute for AI Industry Research, joins us for a timely conversation to examine where artificial intelligence is headed.
As one of the most influential technology leaders on both sides of the Pacific, Dr. Zhang is known for bridging world-class research, AI innovation, and business leadership across his leadership roles at Microsoft, Baidu, and Tsinghua University. He will share his perspectives on the new wave of AI, including frontier research, US-China competition, AI safety, and the broader strategic questions shaping the development and deployment of the technology.
This event is co-organized by HLMA Talks and Asia Society Hong Kong Center. With the theme “Shaping Our Future,” the series aims to underscore the significance and importance of fundamental sciences in our rapidly evolving world. For more information about the Hang Lung Mathematics Awards (HLMA), please visit https://hlma.hanglung.com/en.
⊹ This activity will be conducted in English.
About Dr. Ya-Qin Zhang (click to expand)
Dr. Ya-Qin Zhang is Chair Professor of AI Science at Tsinghua University, and Founding Dean of Institute for AI Industry Research of Tsinghua University (AIR). He was the President of Baidu Inc. from 2014 to 2019. Prior to Baidu, Dr. Zhang was a Microsoft executive for 16 years with different key positions, including Managing Director of Microsoft Research Asia, Chairman of Microsoft China, and Corporate Vice President and Chairman of Microsoft Asia R&D.
Dr. Zhang was elected to the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAA&S), the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE), the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), and the Euro-Asia Academy of Sciences. He is a Fellow of IEEE and CAAI. He is one of the top scientists and technologists in digital video and AI, with over 500 papers, 60 granted US patents, and 11 books. His original research has become the basis for start-up ventures, new products, and international standards in digital video, cloud computing, and autonomous driving. He was awarded the China Friendship Award in 2023.
He serves on the Board of Directors of four public companies. He is on the industry board of United Nation Development Program (UNDP), and AI global council of the Davos World Economic Forum. He is the Chairman of world’s largest open autonomous driving platform “Apollo” alliance with over 200 global partners. He has been an active speaker in global forums including APEC, Davos, United Nations, and Boao Asia Forum.
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Activity Time 活動時間 : 5:30pm - 6:45pm
Venue 地點: Hong Kong Jockey Club Hall Asia Society Hong Kong Center, Admiralty 金鐘亞洲協會香港中心
(Please arrive at the event venue/assembly point 15 minutes before the event start time. 參加者在活動時間前 15 分鐘於指定地點集合。)
REMINDER 溫馨提示
Please bring along your ELA passport. 請帶備ELA 通行證。
⊹ Our general Terms and Conditions apply. We encourage you to review them. By participating in these activities, you agree to our general Terms and Conditions.
⊹ 本中心的一般條款及細則將適用於本活動，參加即視為同意並接受。敬請細閱有關內容。
⊹ Views and opinions expressed are those of the speakers and participants and, unless expressly stated to the contrary, they do not reflect the opinion, position or official policy of Asia Society Hong Kong, its members, or its committees. Asia Society Hong Kong does not endorse or approve and assumes no responsibility for the content of the information presented.
⊹ 免責聲明：所表達的意見和觀點僅代表發言者和參與者的個人看法，除非另有明確說明，否則不反映亞洲協會香港分會及其成員或委員會的官方意見、立場或政策。亞洲協會香港分會不支持或認可所提供信息的內容，也不對其承擔任何責任。