Helen Meng, Patrick Huen Wing Ming Professor of Systems Engineering & Engineering Management at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, speaks at the "AI Governance and Sustainable Development: for Good and for All" Workshop during the World Internet Conference Asia-Pacific Summit in Hong Kong on April 14. [Photo/wicinternet.org]

Helen Meng, Patrick Huen Wing Ming professor of Systems Engineering & Engineering Management at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said that education plays a vital role in advancing the governance of artificial intelligence (AI).

Meng made the remarks at the Workshop on AI Governance and Sustainable Development: for Good and for All, which was held during the World Internet Conference Asia-Pacific Summit in Hong Kong on April 14.

Noting that AI governance is a complex and significant topic that involves intersection and collaboration between disciplines, Meng said that cultivating talents with interdisciplinary knowledge and skills is fundamental to achieving effective AI governance. Through education, students will not only acquire technical skills, but also understand the social, ethical and legal aspects of AI, so that they can make more comprehensive and responsible decisions in their future work, she said.

Meng said the Chinese University of Hong Kong has been working with the Hong Kong Education Bureau since last year to introduce a standardized curriculum containing modules on AI’s social impact for primary schools in the region. One of the course modules helps students understand the practical challenges of privacy protection and liability determination brought about by AI technology through practical scenarios such as ethical decision-making in autonomous driving. 

Meng said her team has established a data governance system covering the full cycle of AI development. In response to data bias, a detection tool jointly developed with Tsinghua University, which can structurally analyze potential bias in unstructured data such as social media, has registered more than 400 downloads per month, she noted.

"Education and research are very important in AI governance. Only through continuous learning and exploration can we address the challenges posed by rapidly evolving technologies", Meng said, adding that she looks forward to seeing more interdisciplinary collaborations to drive progress in AI governance.