HKUBS_Standard_Coloured_Shield_Blue_Text_Logo - 380
  • Global Presence
  • About Us
        • About us about us
        • A Premier Business School in Asia with Global Influence
        • Overview
          • Message from the Dean
          • Vision & Mission
          • Milestones
          • Partnerships & Global Network
          • Beta Gamma Sigma HKU Chapter
          • Rankings & Accreditations
          • Corporate Collaboration
        • Leadership
          • Faculty Management
          • International Advisory Council
        • Our Stories
        • Contact Us
        • Staff Portal
        • Campuses
  • Programmes
        • Programmes programmes
        • Diversified Learning Experience Empowers our Students
        • Undergraduate
        • Masters
          • MAA
          • MAcct
          • MCGRM
          • MEcon
          • MFWM
          • MFin
          • MFFinTech
          • MGM
          • MSAF
          • MSc(BA)
          • MScMktg
          • MWM
        • MBAs & EMBAs
          • MBA
          • IMBA
          • HKU EMBA
        • PhD
        • Executive Education
        • DBA
  • People
        • People people
        • International Faculty Body that Offers Quality Education
        • Faculty
        • Post-Doctoral Fellows
        • Demonstrators/ Teaching Assistants
        • Research Postgraduate Students
        • Administration
  • Research
        • Research research
        • Lead the Frontier of Knowledge Creation
        • Thought Leadership
          • Latest Research Publications
          • HKEJ Column
          • FT Chinese Column
          • In the Media
        • Academic Areas
        • Faculty Members
        • Research Grants
        • Seminars & Conferences
          • Edward K Y Chen Distinguished Lecture Series
        • Research Centres & Institutes
        • Hong Kong Macroeconomics Forecast
        • HKU Knowledge Exchange
        • HKU Scholars Hub
        • Shenzhen Research Institutes
  • Events
  • Media
        • Media media
        • Inspire the Society and Community with Rigorous Insights
        • School News
        • In the Media
        • Press Release
  • Career
        • Career career
        • Fostering Strategic Partnerships and Talent Development
        • Recruit our Talents
        • Student Career Development
        • Career Opportunities
          • Faculty Recruitments
          • HKU Career Site
  • 繁
  • 简
Type To Search
HKUBS_Standard_Coloured_Shield_Blue_Text_Logo - 380
Type To Search
  • Global Presence
  • About Us
        • About us about us
        • A Premier Business School in Asia with Global Influence
        • Overview
          • Message from the Dean
          • Vision & Mission
          • Milestones
          • Partnerships & Global Network
          • Beta Gamma Sigma HKU Chapter
          • Rankings & Accreditations
          • Corporate Collaboration
        • Leadership
          • Faculty Management
          • International Advisory Council
        • Our Stories
        • Contact Us
        • Staff Portal
        • Campuses
  • Programmes
        • Programmes programmes
        • Diversified Learning Experience Empowers our Students
        • Undergraduate
        • Masters
          • MAA
          • MAcct
          • MCGRM
          • MEcon
          • MFWM
          • MFin
          • MFFinTech
          • MGM
          • MSAF
          • MSc(BA)
          • MScMktg
          • MWM
        • MBAs & EMBAs
          • MBA
          • IMBA
          • HKU EMBA
        • PhD
        • Executive Education
        • DBA
  • People
        • People people
        • International Faculty Body that Offers Quality Education
        • Faculty
        • Post-Doctoral Fellows
        • Demonstrators/ Teaching Assistants
        • Research Postgraduate Students
        • Administration
  • Research
        • Research research
        • Lead the Frontier of Knowledge Creation
        • Thought Leadership
          • Latest Research Publications
          • HKEJ Column
          • FT Chinese Column
          • In the Media
        • Academic Areas
        • Faculty Members
        • Research Grants
        • Seminars & Conferences
          • Edward K Y Chen Distinguished Lecture Series
        • Research Centres & Institutes
        • Hong Kong Macroeconomics Forecast
        • HKU Knowledge Exchange
        • HKU Scholars Hub
        • Shenzhen Research Institutes
  • Events
  • Media
        • Media media
        • Inspire the Society and Community with Rigorous Insights
        • School News
        • In the Media
        • Press Release
  • Career
        • Career career
        • Fostering Strategic Partnerships and Talent Development
        • Recruit our Talents
        • Student Career Development
        • Career Opportunities
          • Faculty Recruitments
          • HKU Career Site
HKUBS_Standard_Coloured_Shield_Blue_Text_Logo - 380
  • Global Presence
  • About Us
    • Overview
      • Message from the Dean
      • Vision & Mission
      • Milestones
      • Partnerships & Global Network
      • Beta Gamma Sigma HKU Chapter
      • Rankings & Accreditations
      • Corporate Collaboration
    • Leadership
      • Faculty Management
      • International Advisory Council
    • Our Stories
    • Contact Us
    • Staff Portal
    • Campuses
  • Programmes
    • Undergraduate
    • Masters
      • MAA
      • MAcct
      • MCGRM
      • MEcon
      • MFWM
      • MFin
      • MFFinTech
      • MGM
      • MSAF
      • MSc(BA)
      • MScMktg
      • MWM
    • MBAs & EMBAs
      • MBA
      • IMBA
      • HKU EMBA
    • DBA
    • PhD
    • Executive Education
  • People
    • Faculty
    • Post-Doctoral Fellows
    • Demonstrators/ Teaching Assistants
    • Research Postgraduate Students
    • Administration
  • Research
    • Thought Leadership
      • Latest Research Publications
      • HKEJ Column
      • FT Chinese Column
      • In the Media
    • Academic Areas
    • Faculty Members
    • Research Grants
    • Seminars & Conferences
      • Edward K Y Chen Distinguished Lecture Series
    • Research Centres & Institutes
    • Hong Kong Macroeconomics Forecast
    • HKU Knowledge Exchange
    • HKU Scholars Hub
    • Shenzhen Research Institutes
  • Events
  • Media
    • School News
    • In the Media
    • Press Release
  • Career
    • Recruit our Talents
    • Student Career Development
    • Career Opportunities
      • Faculty Recruitments
      • HKU Career Site

FT Chinese Column

Home Research Thought Leadership FT Chinese Column
Super 80/20 Rule: Knowledge Creation in the AI Era

Super 80/20 Rule: Knowledge Creation in the AI Era

24 Feb 2025
Share on TwitterShare on FacebookShare on WhatsappShare on LinkedInShare on Email

AI浪潮席卷全球,冲击着不同行业,连带颠覆传统的艺术创作。笔者透过实验,揭示科技进步能否提升作品质量,还是加剧两极分化。

帕累托法则与知识创作

19世纪末,经济学家维尔弗雷多·帕累托(Vilfredo Pareto)观察到意大利80%的财富集中在20%的人手中。这一现象后来被美国管理学者约瑟夫·朱兰(Joseph Juran)进一步发展,推论出著名的“80/20法则”:80%的结果(输出)往往归于20%的投入(输入)。

这一法则在知识工作中表现得尤为明显。对科研人员、艺术家等群体而言,前期的集中投入能确保成果达到基本水准。若要追求卓越品质,最后那20%的提升往往需要投入80%以上的时间与精力。比如,知名作家杰克·凯鲁亚克(Jack Kerouac)仅用三周写成《在路上》(On the Road)的初稿,但最终版本却经过六年、六轮修改才得以完成【注1】。

知识工作者在时间投入和作品质量上享有较大自主权,惟他们需要在数量和质量之间做出权衡:是在少量作品上追求极致,还是降低标准换取高产量?

AI时代的质量与效率

在AI浪潮下,这种权衡越趋复杂。为了探究AI如何影响创作过程和成果,我们邀请了200多位专业画师参与实验,让他们分别用传统方式和AI辅助方式各创作一幅作品。实验记录了完整创作过程,并由专家每15分钟评估一次作品质量。
研究发现,AI显著重塑了创作流程。在传统创作中,画师通常需要20到40分钟构思,再用近2小时完成作品,需花上50%时间以达到80%的完成度。而使用AI后,几秒内就能生成初步画面,在20%的时间内便达到80%的完成度。换言之,AI实现了超级80/20法则,大幅缩短创作“及格作品”所需的时间。

两极分化的出现

有趣的是,AI并未普遍提升作品质量,约三分之一的画师作品质量反而下降。这并非因为技术不足,而是基于理性选择:对部分画师而言,快速完成一幅“80分”作品更具性价比,投入更多的时间与精力可能得不偿失。

这揭示了人机互动的复杂性:技术进步不等于品质提升。创作者会权衡投入与回报,当提升成本过高时,可能选择适可而止。虽然作品质量略低,但节省的时间资源均具有更大价值。
研究还发现一个显著趋势:创作者要么选择用20%时间完成80分的作品,要么投入额外80%精力多取20分,追求完美的作品。很少有人愿意在既无明显效率优势又不追求最高品质的情况下,去做“90分”的作品。这种“中间空心”的两极分化效应,源于AI强化的80/20法则与个人理性选择的叠加。

更广泛的影响

这种两极分化效应可能延伸至更多领域。例如,AI虽然能助人更快掌握基本技能,但或导致人力资本分布的两极化,进而加剧收入和财富差距。这种趋势值得警惕,因为相比两极分化的社会,一个拥有强大中产阶级的橄榄型社会结构更为理想。由AI强化的80/20法则引发各种挑战,该如何应对,实在需要社会各界共同思考。

本文作者为港大经管学院管理及商业策略、经济学学术领域主任及教授李晋和港大经管学院管理及商业策略副教授贡洁。文章基于两位笔者和上海科技大学陈劼副教授、港大经管学院研究助理赵梓博共同撰写的工作论文:“AI and Creative Process”。

注1:Newport, C. (2024) Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout Penguin Books Limited, 256 pages, ISBN 9780241652923.

 

The Profitability Puzzle of On-Demand Carpooling: Pricing, Matching, and Network Effects6 Feb 2025
Quantamental Investing in the Age of Accelerating AI7 Mar 2025
Trending
Revolutionizing Care: Innovative Healthcare Models Transforming Emerging Economies
Revolutionizing Care: Innovative Healthcare Models Transforming Emerging Economies
Prof. Sundara Natarajan PANCHANATHAM
Despite resource constraints and pressures coming from a growing population, can emerging economies improve healthcare access and reduce costs – without sacrificing the quality of healthcare services? Based on field visits and joint research on public health, Prof. Sundara Natarajan Panchanatham, Assistant Professor in Innovation and Information at HKU Business School, revealed that medical practices in emerging economies “can transform healthcare systems, making them more resilient and responsive to the demands of their populations.”
29 May 2025
Impact of the AI Industrial Revolution on Labor Market
Impact of the AI Industrial Revolution on Labor Market
Prof. Michael C.L. CHAU
Have you noticed how, historically, industrial revolutions across various nations mainly impacted low-income jobs? What’s different now is that the current wave in artificial intelligence seems different. AI not only automates entry-level positions but also has the potential to replace high-skilled, high-income roles. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), AI could affect up to 40% of global employment. That figure could be as high as 60% in developed economies like Hong Kong.
16 May 2025
Prof_Li_Jin_2019
About Author
Prof. Jin LI

Area Head of Management and Strategy

Jie GONG
About Author
Prof. Jie GONG

Associate Professor

Sign up for upcoming news and events
LinkedIn WeChat Instagram Facebook Weibo Twitter YouTube

©2025, HKU Business School. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Web Accessibility Statement