May 31, 2024. Shanghai – Amidst continuous scientific and technological advancements, artificial intelligence stands at the forefront as a cutting-edge force providing exciting new opportunities for the business community. As such, in the year of CEIBS 30th anniversary, the inaugural 2024 CEIBS AI Forum was held on our Shanghai campus today.

Organised by CElBS Al and Management Innovation Research Centre, the event brought together over 700 top scholars, industry leaders, and policy makers to discuss the power of AI to reshape the business world and future trends, under the theme of "AI as a New Engine for the Business World". Attendees at the event also witnessed the launch ceremony of the CEIBS AI and Management Innovation Research Centre, which aims to build an industry-university-research platform featuring business school characteristics.

In her opening address, CEIBS President Wang Hong extended a warm welcome to all participants and emphasised the importance of AI technology in today's business world. She stated that AI is not only a sign of further technological integration, but also an important driver of new productivity with the potential to lead the transformation and upgrading of global industries.

She also introduced the establishment of the CEIBS Research Centre for AI and Management Innovation, which is designed to provide academic wisdom and experience to the burgeoning industry.

"I hope that both the research centre and this forum will facilitate CEBS in deepening the integration of industry, academia and research in AI to promote technological innovation and application and meet the challenges of the future," she added.

CEIBS Vice President and Dean Frank Bournois also delivered a keynote speech where he highlighted the impact of AI on business management, especially the ways in which AI can transform pedagogy and change the way we deliver knowledge.

He went on to outline the acronym CAMPUS to illustrate the role of education amidst AI development. "C stands for co-creation between companies and universities; A is for apprenticeships where companies offer transnational internships and apprenticeships in the field of AI and advanced technologies; M stands for mobility of talent through setting up exchange prorammes, which is crucial for our teachers and researchers. P is pedagogy. Teaching will never be the same, and AI will help fight against the obsolescence of knowledge. U represents university cooperation. Tsinghua University, for example, is working in partnership with a lot of European organisations. S is for scientific achievements," Prof. Bournois said.

He further expressed his hope that the new AI Management and Innovation Centre will help address the challenges and opportunities brought about by AI, promote the exchange of ideas, and contribute to global cooperation and innovative development.

IEEE Fellow and the Professor of Computer Science & Engineering at the School of Computer Science and Engineering (SCSE) of Nanyang Technological University Wen Yonggang

Following this, Fellow of Singapore Academy of Engineering and Associate Provost (Graduate Education) at Nanyang Technological University Wen Yonggang pointed out the double-edged sword effect of AI technology, which both drives the digital economy and causes a sharp increase in energy consumption in data centres.

He highlighted the importance of five key elements in AI projects: Computing Platforms, Researchers, Algorithms, Data, and Application Scenarios, which he humorously summed up as "The AI Wears PRADA".

Therefore, he suggested assessing the project through this "PRADA" framework to ensure economic growth while achieving the sustainable development of AI. He also called for greater investment in computing power to promote the coexistence of digital transformation and environmental protection.

BCG Managing Director & Senior Partner Jeff Walters then took to the stage, highlighting that generative Al has become a global business focus.

Generative Al's rapid rise, Jeff explains, stems from transcending structured data dependencies effectively parsing diverse information like insurance documents and social media. This has sparked industry revolutions in healthcare, manufacturing, and marketing, showcasing Al's transformative potential.

For business leaders, Jeff underscored the need to not just optimize processes with technology, but also boldly reshape business models to seize significant opportunities.

In a video message, CEIBS Professor of Economics and Decision Sciences and Director of CEIBS Research Centre for AI and Management Innovation Fang Yue highlighted the significance and goals of the centre, which will strive to become a world-renowned research and teaching platform with a focus on the impact of AI on enterprise management and industrial development under the national AI development strategy.

A company donation ceremony by Tezign Technology was also held during the event. Founder of Tezign Technology Fan Ling shared his outlook on business civilisation in the age of AI and expressed his hope to explore AI application in enterprise management and marketing.

In an address, President Wang Hong expressed her gratitude to all supporters, emphasising the impact of AI technology on the business world and the key role of university-enterprise collaboration in promoting AI research and education.

"This collaboration marks an important step for CEIBS in AI and management innovation, and we look forward to producing more research results and leading industry change in the future," she said.

In a video message, CEIBS Professor of Marketing Wang Qi stressed the importance of AI in content digital management, especially its wide application and impact in marketing.

“With the advance of generative AI, the digital management of content will become a key driver for enterprises to adopt AI technology and a catalyst for internal change, which requires enterprises to respond promptly to promote digital transformation,” she said.

Following this, four speakers, including Microsoft Asia AI Black Belt General Manager and CEIBS alumna Zhen Zeng, ESCP Professor Wei Zhou, Chairman of Shanghai Sunic Capital and CEIBS alumnus Yajun Li, Chairman of XrayBot, Visiting Fellow of Chinese Academy of Sciences, and CEIBS alumnus Rangyue Yi delivered speeches on AI Development Status, Trends and Challenges.

This was followed by another sharing session where four speakers, including CEIBS Professor Ricky Tan, Founder and CEO of Tezign Ling Fan, CEO of BlueFocus Communication Group and CEIBS alumnus Fei Pan, Zhong Lun Law Firm Partner and CEIBS alumnus Xinyu Liu delved into the topic "Exploration and Practice of Artificial Intelligence Part I – Content Generation Technology and Business Empowerment".

The forum also featured an engaging roundtable discussion moderated by CEO of BlueFocus Communication Group and CEIBS alumnus Fei Pan, who invited to the stage ByteDance Volcengine Yihang Luo, Vice President of NetEase and CEIBS alumnus Liang Ruan, and Digital Innovation & Service Director for L'Oréal North Asia Yezi Li to exchange ideas on Productivity and AI Transformation.

The panel discussion was then followed by an engaging online dialogue between CEIBS Professor Fang Yue and Assistant Managing Director of Microsoft Research Asia Lili Qiu on AI Leadership for the Future.

In wrapping up the event, Prof. Bournois thanked all participants for a fruitful and enlightening exchange, noting that business leaders in AI era should have the courage to embrace rapid changes, and continue to iterate their own cognitive system.

“Managers should be pioneers in the application of AI, promote the use of AI tools, while also trusting and stimulating the innovative potential of employees,” he concluded.

The event was supported by CEIBS AI and Enterprise Management Research Area, CElBS Al Exploration and Practice Group, Kuaidi100, Tezign Technology, and DeepZero, and was hosted by CEIBS EMBA 2024 alumna Tang Anqi.