New technology, like artificial intelligence (AI), has shaken the world. Chances are the insights from today’s great minds will steer us towards a right path.
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) conferred an Honorary Doctor of Engineering honoris causa on Dr. Jensen HUANG, the founder and CEO of NVIDIA. As a newly welcomed member of the HKUST community, he joined Prof. Harry SHUM, Council Chairman of HKUST and a celebrated computer scientist, for a fireside chat on November 23, 2024. Together, the technological experts explored critical issues surrounding “Technology, Leadership, and Entrepreneurship”.
The hundreds of participants in the auditorium were mesmerized, not just by the speakers’ stylish leather jackets emblazoned with “HKUST”, but also by Dr. Huang’s dynamic presence and the wise words from the two experts on stage.
AI Learns and Thinks
Beginning the dialogue, Prof. Shum noted that the trajectory of AI development will only accelerate in the coming decade. He then invited Dr. Huang to share his perspectives and forecasts regarding the game-changing technology.
Dr. Huang described AI as a “universal translator” that empowers users to understand everything at their fingertips, outlining three core phases of AI development: Pre-training, Post-training, and Thinking.
It starts by acquiring large-scale knowledge from worldwide data, and the next phase is to reinforce the learning processes deeply rooted in a specific domain. After that, it involves various problem-solving processes such as test-time scaling, simulation and iterative reasoning.
Just like humans, AI learns and thinks before it gives us the best answer possible. “We have to get to a point where the answer that you get you largely trust. I think we are several years away from being able to do that,” Dr. Huang explained.
History shows that past revolutions, much like those in agriculture and industry, have propelled humanity forward. Just as how Prof. Shum put it—we now enter the age of manufacturing intelligence. How does NVIDIA contribute to this transformative change?
“We have taken away the marginal cost of computing and reduced it by a million times,” Dr. Huang noted. “When the cost of something reduces by a million times, your habits fundamentally change.” He highlighted that NVIDIA’s breakthrough revolutionized machine learning, which led to a substantial advancement in how researchers approach AI development.
Novelty in Medical Education
As Hong Kong government prepares to launch its third medical school, Prof. Shum posed a question about the strategic investment and direction of this lofty initiative, underscoring HKUST’s unwavering commitment to medical education.
“Emulation is invaluable to science,” Dr. Huang responded. He reflected on the nascent stage of AI technology, which initially faced considerable skepticism. In fact, its ability to emulate large systems is particularly beneficial for studying human biology that spans vast scales from nanometers to years, whereas conventional methods or principal solvers often struggle with this complexity.
Prof. Shum echoed his point of view, suggesting that HKUST has the opportunity to forge a novel path distinct from traditional medical schools by starting with a technology-driven approach.
A Knack to Lead
Prof. Shum mentioned that Dr. Huang has served as CEO for almost 32 years. In that time, NVIDIA has ascended to become the largest company in the world, boasting a staggering market capitalization of US$3.34 trillion*. Standing at the apex, Dr. Huang remained modest when asked about his visionary leadership and offered advice to the audience.
Dr. Huang asserted that leaders must embrace uncertainty. When engaging with AI, rather than merely seeking answers, he would ask it to explain the problem-solving process. Such commitment to lifelong learning has been a cornerstone of his leadership at NVIDIA.
Talking about leadership, Dr. Huang emphasised the necessity of constant reinvention, as the world, companies, and technology are in perpetual flux. “You are the leader, but you don’t have to know everything… It is possible for you to be completely confident pursuing a direction, and allow room for uncertainty and that room for uncertainty gives you the opportunity to learn. Vulnerability is not the absence of strength, and uncertainty is not the absence of confidence,” Dr. Huang said. What he learned from his own experience was that his authentic leadership style has nurtured open communication, transparency and trust within teams.
*Market capitalization as of the event day - Nov 23, 2024
Refining Robotics in Greater Bay Area
Hong Kong and other cities in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) are brimming with potential, bolstered as Prof. Shum attributed it to the well-established hardware ecosystem within the regional network. Building on that notion, Dr. Huang swiftly recognized the entrepreneurial opportunities for leveraging synergy within the GBA.
“This whole region here is strong in mechatronics, blending mechanical and electronic technologies,” he pinpointed. “What is missing for robotics is an AI that understands the physical world. While large language models understand cognitive knowledge, they do not yet understand physical intelligence.”
To him, the gap is not insurmountable. With generative AI (GenAI) now capable of producing videos from textual instructions that involve physical intelligence, the integration of GenAI and robotics seems growingly feasible.
Concluding on an optimistic note, both experts expressed strong confidence in HKUST’s strengths to drive innovation in AI, robotics and healthcare, ultimately benefiting society as a whole.
Surprise, Surprise
The audience reached fever pitch when a surprise emerged from backstage. With just a month to go before Christmas, Dr. Huang decided to spread joy to the auditorium by gifting 10 GeForce RTX™ graphics cards to the attendees through a lucky draw.
As the event neared its epilogue, the inspiring discussion between Prof. Shum and Dr. Huang has indeed fostered goodwill and sparked epiphanies among students and faculty alike.
So, what will be the next world-shaking idea that we are carrying to term? With a bagful of insights, the entire HKUST community is raring to explore its future development and potential collaborations with Dr. Huang.
To watch the insightful fireside chat between Dr. Jensen Huang and Prof. Harry Shum at HKUST, check out the video below:
