{"id":410,"date":"2023-05-23T15:33:41","date_gmt":"2023-05-23T07:33:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hkubs.hku.hk\/eventsite\/idei-conference-jan-2026\/?page_id=410"},"modified":"2026-04-27T10:29:54","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T02:29:54","slug":"home","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.hkubs.hku.hk\/eventsite\/idei-conference-jan-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"AI for Business Conference"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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AI for Business Conference<\/h2>

January 5-6, 2026 | HKU-iCube<\/span><\/h1><\/div>\n <\/section>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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About<\/h2><\/div>\n <\/section>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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The <\/span><\/strong>Institute of Digital Economy and Innovation (IDEI<\/strong>)<\/a> hosted a two-day conference titled “AI for Business Conference<\/strong><\/span>\u201d, co-organizing with AI Evaluation Lab (AIEL), HKU Business School<\/a><\/strong> and Human-Algorithm Interaction Lab (HAI), Oxford Sa\u00efd Business School<\/a><\/strong>, on January 5-6, 2026 at the HKU iCube, Room 4005-07, 40\/F, Two Exchange Square, 8 Connaught Place, Central<\/u>.<\/p>

This conference aims to provide a platform for scholars and professionals in the respective ecosystems to share interdisciplinary research insights and industry experiences at the forefront of AI in business.<\/p>

Date and Time:<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

January 5, 2026 (Mon.) | 9:30 am \u2013 6:00 pm<\/p>

January 6, 2026 (Tue.)\u00a0 | 9:30 am \u2013 12:00 noon<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

Venue:<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

HKU iCube, Room 4005-07, 40\/F, Two Exchange Square, 8 Connaught Place, Central<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

Format:<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

Face-to-face<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

Registration Fee<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

HKD 1,000 (HKU participants are waived, sponsored by HKU Business School.)<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

Registration Link:<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

HKU participants<\/a> (Successful registrants will receive a confirmation email from the organiser before the event day.)<\/p>

Non-HKU participants<\/a><\/p>

Registration closed.<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>

Contact<\/strong><\/p>

Institute of Digital Economy and Innovation (IDEI), HKU Business School at\u00a0idei@hku.hk.<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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AI for Business Conference<\/strong><\/h3>

On January 5\u20136, 2026, the Institute of Digital Economy and Innovation (IDEI)<\/strong><\/a> successfully hosted the two-day \u201cAI for Business Conference\u201d<\/strong>, co-organized with AI Evaluation Lab (AIEL)<\/strong><\/a>, HKU Business School and Human-Algorithm Interaction Lab (HAI)<\/strong><\/a>, Oxford Sa\u00efd Business School, at HKU iCube, Room 4005-07, 40\/F, Two Exchange Square, 8 Connaught Place, Central.<\/p>

In his opening remarks, Professor Pingyang Gao<\/strong>, Associate Dean (Research and Knowledge Exchange), Zhang Yonghong Professor in Accounting, and DBA Programme Director at HKU Business School, emphasized the conference\u2019s goal of fostering interdisciplinary exchange at the forefront of AI in business. Professor Yulin Fang<\/strong>, Professor of Innovation and Information Management and Director of IDEI, welcomed participants and introduced the IDEI AI Innovation Framework<\/strong>. The four-stage model\u2014Discovery, Acquisition, Diffusion, and Impact\u2014designed to help organizations align AI capabilities with evolving user and business needs and to create value across\u00a0performance, learning, creativity, and dignity.<\/p>

Professor Kejia Hu<\/strong>, Founding Director of HAI and Associate Professor of Management Science at Oxford Sa\u00efd Business School, discussed the emergence of the \u201csuper individual\u201d<\/strong>, illustrating how human\u2013AI collaboration enhances knowledge, creativity, and execution, and underscoring the importance of keeping human\u2013AI interaction central to innovation.<\/p>

Professor Zhenhui Jack Jiang<\/strong>, Director of the AI Evaluation Lab and Padma and Hari Harilela Professor in Strategic Information Management at HKU Business School, examined hallucinations in large language models and highlighted the need for systematic evaluation to mitigate risks. Professor Jia Pan<\/strong>, Co-founder of LimX Dynamics and Associate Professor at HKU\u2019s School of Computing and Data Science, explored how robotics projects can move beyond demonstrations to become robust and scalable systems for real-world deployment.<\/p>

An industry panel moderated by Professor Zhepeng Li<\/strong>, External Data Scientist at the Bank of Ningbo and Associate Professor at HKU, examined how organizations can scale AI from pilot inititiatives to real business impact while strengthening governance, leadership, and talent capabilities. Panelists Brian Tseng<\/strong> from Accenture, Marianna Zhao<\/strong> from Midea, Franklin Wang<\/strong> from Linklogis, and Sum Lam<\/strong> from Eversheds Sutherland shared practical insights, followed by an interactive discussion with the audience. Later, a featured address by Professor Chung Piaw Teo<\/strong>, Stephen Riady Professor, Executive Director of the Institute of Operations Research and Analytics, National University of Singapore, titled AI in Aviation: Challenges and Opportunities<\/em>, highlighted across aviation systems, alongside the operational hurdles involved in deploying AI at scale.<\/p>

Subsequent sessions focused on Human\u2013AI Decision Making<\/strong> and the Economic and Societal Impacts of AI<\/strong>. Professor Ruijie Zhang<\/strong>, Assistant Professor in the School of Entrepreneurship and Management at ShanghaiTech University, presented a dynamic Bayesian model that enhances collaboration by weighting human and AI inputs, demonstrating their complementarity in identifying entrepreneurial opportunities. Professor Bin Ke<\/strong>, Professor of Accounting and Provost\u2019s Chair at the National University of Singapore, showed that machine-learning models can strengthen early-stage recruitment screening even with limited application materials\u2014while human recruiters often underutilize the predictive signals embedded in resumes and related documents. Professor Maxime Couvert<\/strong>, Assistant Professor of Finance at HKU Business School, presented evidence that AI-driven voting recommendations outperform traditional proxy advisors in maximizing firm value.<\/p>

Professor Chaoyue Gao<\/strong>, Associate Professor in the School of Management at the University of Science and Technology of China, analyzed Expedia\u2019s adoption of ChatGPT-powered recommendation agents and found that generative AI can raise average hotel ratings while also amplifying review polarization. Professor Matthias Fahn<\/strong>, Associate Professor of Management and Strategy at HKU Business School, examined how AI can shift job design towards \u201cbad jobs,\u201d with outcomes shaped by workers\u2019 outside options and labour-market institutions. He also noted that policy measures such as unemployment benefits and wage subsidies can help mitigate these effects.<\/p>

The editor panel, moderated by Professor Zhixi Wan<\/strong>, Area Head of Innovation and Information Management at HKU Business School, examined how generative AI is reshaping editorial and peer-review workflows. Panelists Professor Kejia Hu<\/strong> (University of Oxford), Professor Wu Liu<\/strong> (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University), Professor Chung Piaw Teo<\/strong> (National University of Singapore), Professor Echo Wan<\/strong> (The University of Hong Kong), and Professor Weiquan Wang<\/strong> (The Chinese University of Hong Kong) shared perspectives on emerging practices and standards.<\/p>

Day 2 opened with parallel sessions on AI Deployment<\/strong> and AI Applications<\/strong>. Professor Shipeng Yan<\/strong> (HKU) presented research on AI data centre location strategies in the United States and showed that jobs-related deregulation can attract data center investments, particularly for public and large AI firms. Mr Huifeng Su<\/strong> (Yale University) introduced a deep-learning-based recommendation system designed to improve family reunification services, while Professor Thomas Brzustowski<\/strong> (HKU) examined mechanism design using transparent AI code, highlighting how efficiency and outcomes depend on competitive dynamics. In the AI Applications sessions, Professor Xing Hu<\/strong> (HKU) presented an interpretable measure of algorithmic monoculture, demonstrating that competition alone does not necessarily generate diversity. Ms Ao Wang<\/strong> (HKU) analysed cultural-avatar chatbots and their effects on user engagement, and Ms Zhixin Xu<\/strong> (HKU) discussed how domain-specific AI tools are reshaping scientific collaboration and the distribution of expertise.<\/p>

Later sessions focused on AI and Business Success<\/strong> and Human\u2013AI Augmentation<\/strong>. Ms Zhen Long<\/strong> (Zhongnan University of Economics and Law) applied machine learning to predict high-growth firms on China\u2019s New Third Board using pre-listing information, showing that team features extracted from executive r\u00e9sum\u00e9s outperform audited financial fundamentals. Professor Di Zhou<\/strong> (Tongji University) showed that regulation shapes how generative AI shocks affect firm financing through signalling and filtering, noting that China\u2019s regulatory capacity can provide credible signals that coordinate market expectations and inform global AI governance. Mr Jiannan Xu<\/strong> (University of Maryland) presented evidence of AI self-preferencing in algorithmic hiring, finding that evaluator LLMs favour AI-generated r\u00e9sum\u00e9s even after controlling for quality.<\/p>

In parallel, Ms Luyao Wang<\/strong> (Fudan University) highlighted the importance of calibrating initial data transfer to balance human creativity and AI efficiency, while Mr Letian Kong<\/strong> (The Chinese University of Hong Kong) proposed a two-stage human\u2013LLM alignment framework using prompt-based interventions to support both context formation and context navigation.<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

AIFB Conference Proceedings<\/a><\/h4>

\u00a0<\/p>

Photos (DAY 1)<\/strong><\/p>

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Professor Pingyang Gao<\/strong>, Associate Dean (Research and Knowledge Exchange), Zhang Yonghong Professor in Accounting, and DBA Programme Director at HKU Business School<\/p>

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Professor Yulin Fang<\/strong>, Director of IDEI and Professor of Innovation and Information Management at HKU Business School<\/p>

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Professor Kejia Hu<\/strong>, Founding Director of the Human\u2013AI Interaction Lab and Associate Professor of Management Science at Oxford Sa\u00efd Business School<\/p>

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Professor Zhenhui Jack Jiang<\/strong>, Director of the AI Evaluation Lab and Padma and Hari Harilela Professor in Strategic Information Management at HKU Business School<\/p>

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Professor Jia Pan<\/strong>, Co-founder of LimX Dynamics and Associate Professor at HKU\u2019s School of Computing and Data Science<\/p>

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(From right) <\/strong>Prof. Zhepeng Li<\/strong>, External Data Scientist at the Bank of Ningbo and Associate Professor at HKU; Marianna Zhao<\/strong>, Midea; Sum Lam<\/strong> Eversheds Sutherland; Franklin Wang<\/strong>, Linklogis and Brian Tseng<\/strong>, Accenture<\/p>

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Professor Chung Piaw Teo<\/strong>, Stephen Riady Professor, Executive Director of the Institute of Operations Research and Analytics, National University of Singapore<\/p>

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Professor Ruijie Zhang<\/strong>, Assistant Professor in the School of Entrepreneurship and Management at ShanghaiTech University<\/p>

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Professor Bin Ke<\/strong>, Professor of Accounting and Provost\u2019s Chair at the National University of Singapore<\/p>

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Professor Maxime Couvert<\/strong>, Assistant Professor of Finance at HKU Business School<\/p>

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Professor Chaoyue Gao<\/strong>, Associate Professor in the School of Management at the University of Science and Technology of China<\/p>

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Professor Matthias Fahn<\/strong>, Associate Professor of Management and Strategy at HKU Business School<\/p>

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(From Right) <\/strong>Professor Zhixi Wan<\/strong>, Area Head of Innovation and Information Management at HKU Business School; Professor Kejia Hu<\/strong> (University of Oxford), Professor Echo Wan<\/strong> (The University of Hong Kong), Professor Chung Piaw Teo<\/strong> (National University of Singapore), Professor Wu Liu<\/strong> (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University) and Professor Weiquan Wang<\/strong> (The Chinese University of Hong Kong)<\/p>

Photos (DAY 2)<\/strong><\/p>

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Professor Shipeng Yan<\/strong>, Assistant Professor of Management and Strategy (HKU)<\/p>

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Professor Xing Hu<\/strong>, Associate Professor of Innovation and Information Management\u00a0 (HKU)<\/p>

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Professor Thomas Brzustowski<\/strong>, Assistant Professor in Economics (HKU)<\/p>

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Mr Huifeng Su<\/strong> (Yale University)<\/p>

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Ms Ao Wang<\/strong> (HKU)<\/p>

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Ms Zhixin Xu<\/strong> (HKU)<\/p>

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Dr Zhen Long<\/strong> (Zhongnan University of Economics and Law)<\/p>

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Ms Luyao Wang<\/strong> (Fudan University)<\/p>

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Professor Di Zhou<\/strong>, <\/strong>Assistant Professor at the School of Economics and Management (Tongji University)<\/p>

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Mr Jiannan Xu<\/strong> (University of Maryland)<\/p>

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Mr Letian Kong<\/strong> (The Chinese University of Hong Kong)<\/p>

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AI for Business Conference group photo<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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