The Big Data Institute (BDI) of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) hosted its inaugural Big Data and AI Day on May 26, 2017 and invited a stellar assemblage of world top academics and industry celebrities in the realm of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to share information and insights into the future of the field.
The event drew an audience of over 500 guests and students, including local and overseas academics, leaders in the Big Data and AI-related industries, government representatives, as well as students from various tertiary institutions in Hong Kong and abroad.
Data Science is one of the 5 strategic directions of HKUST and the BDI was founded precisely to spur leading research as well as education, offering a MSc and an undergraduate minor in Big Data Technology. Partnering researchers and organizations of the BDI span around the globe, including China’s Tencent and Digital China, as well as France’s Thales Group—a testament to how Big Data and AI have garnered the world’s attention today.
“Big Data and AI’s advancements are growing at an astonishing rate,” said President Prof Tony F Chan, pointing to the recent demolishment by Alpha Go against the China’s top Go player. “Data and analytics gained from research in Big Data will change profoundly the world we are living in.”
While top academics shared insights into the latest development in Big Data and AI research, New Bright Professor of Engineering Prof Qiang Yang, the Director of BDI, led a group of HKUST academics and showcased the institute’s own research and collaboration projects on subjects such as deep learning, machine learning, speech and language processing, image recognition, and smart city. “HKUST is at the forefront of research in the fields of AI and Big Data, and we believe it will take the lead in this revolution,” said Prof Yang.
The day of vigorous intellectual exchange concluded with an expert panel discussion where students got to know much more on how Big Data and AI would impact their future careers. “The possibilities Big Data and AI bring are limitless,” said Prof Yang Wang, Dean of Science of HKUST. “When the Big Day returns next year, we may well be living in a different world already.”
For details on the Big Data and AI Day, please click here; information on BDI and its research on Big Data and AI, please visit: http://bdi.ust.hk
