Nobel Laureate Prof. Thomas J. Sargent Discusses AI and Economics at HKU Business School
The HKU Business School Distinguished Scholar Lecture was held on 25 November at the HKU Graduate House, where we welcomed Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences Professor Thomas J. Sargent. The event attracted over 1,300 registrants (both online and offline) and reached nearly 10,000 views via live stream.
Professor Sargent’s lecture highlighted how intelligence involves pattern recognition, generalisation, and decision-making, with AI serving as a human-designed tool that embodies these qualities to enhance, rather than replace, human judgement. He also noted that while humans have evolved intuitive strengths in statistics, biology, and economics, these instincts may be misaligned with modern complexities, and that AI tools reflect and amplify these challenges—underscoring the need for universities to address such imperfections in their pursuit of knowledge and innovation.
Professor Hongbin Cai, Dean and Chair of Economics at HKU Business School, commended Professor Sargent’s enduring intellectual curiosity and his exemplary commitment to exploring fundamental questions in economics, particularly in the context of AI’s transformative impact on research, education, and society. He observed that Professor Sargent’s dedicated pursuit of knowledge and his engagement with both foundational and frontier issues in economics, as exemplified by his lecture on AI and economics, epitomise the highest standards of scholarly excellence.After the lecture, Professor Jin LI, the Zhang Yonghong Professor in Economics and Strategy and Director of the Centre for AI, Management and Organisation, joined Professor Sargent for a fireside chat. They further delved into the topic of AI and economics in a conversation that was inspirational to the diverse audience.
This distinguished lecture exemplifies HKU Business School’s vision of serving as a global education hub, fostering critical dialogue, and enriching the academic experience for its students and the broader community, while shaping the future discourse in key global economic areas.
About Prof. Thomas J. Sargent
As a central figure in the development of the rational expectations theory in economics, Prof. Thomas J. Sargent received the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 2011, jointly with Christopher Sims, for his “empirical research on cause and effect in the macroeconomy”. The rational expectations theory incorporates into macroeconomic models the idea that households and firms form forecasts about the future based on their rational understanding of the economy. His work analysed the consequences of this theory for the design and effectiveness of monetary and fiscal Policy.
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Professor Thomas J. Sargent,Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences, gave a public lecture at The University of Hong Kong on AI and Economics.
The event attracted over 1,300 registrants (both online and offline) and welcomed a full-house of over 300 onsite audience.
