Chung Chi College hosted the fourth talk of the 75th anniversary Excellence Talk Series themed “Future Innovation” on 11 July. The two speakers, Chung Chi alumnus Professor Chiu Wai Yan Philip (1994/MBChB), Dean of the CUHK Faculty of Medicine, and Professor Chia Pun Kok Herbert, Senior Advisor of Alibaba Cloud Intelligence Hong Kong & Macao, graced the occasion and shared insights on advanced developments in medical engineering and artificial intelligence. Over 600 attendees participated in the event, marking a successful conclusion of the series.

Medicine-Engineering Innovative Breakthroughs Against Cancer

The morning session was delivered by Professor Philip Chiu, Dean of the CUHK Faculty of Medicine, the Shun Hing Education and Charity Fund Professor of Robotic Surgery, and Director of the Multi-Scale Medical Robotics Center. He outlined how surgical techniques have evolved over time, discussed the use of robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) in operations, and explored future directions for medical engineering.

Professor Chiu pointed out that technological innovation has been driving the development of surgery for two centuries. By the 1980s and 1990s, minimally invasive surgery emerged as a solution to the problem of large incisions caused by open surgery. He explained that the development of surgery was largely enhanced through technological development. Minimally invasive surgery, for instance, benefited from improvements in the resolving power of lenses that allowed doctors to use laparoscopes to observe internal bodily structures. As early as the 1990s, the CUHK Faculty of Medicine brought this technology to Hong Kong and first applied it to gallbladder removal.

However, patients’ recovery ultimately depends on their conditions rather than on advances in technology. As a renowned scholar on upper gastrointestinal surgery, Professor Chiu raised esophageal cancers as an example, noting that the survival rate for later-stage patients is extremely low and that effective treatment is only possible with early detection and diagnosis. He recalled that while working at United Christian Hospital, he noticed the technologies in Japan and finally learned them there in 2003. Ultimately, he mastered methods for diagnosing early-stage esophageal cancers, as well as the cutting-edge technology of Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection, which he later started and led together with Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy at CUHK.

Given the many vital organs surrounding the esophagus, Professor Chiu began introducing robotic technology to enhance the precision and safety of operations, strengthening CUHK’s capabilities in minimally invasive surgeries. In 2009, he led the first robotic assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy in Hong Kong. He stressed that applying robotics and AI to refine surgical procedures is inevitable, making collaboration between medicine and engineering crucial.

He went on to share his collaboration with Professor Au Kwok Wai Samuel of the CUHK Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering. In 2020, with support from the Hong Kong government’s InnoHK initiative, they established the CUHK Medical Robotics Center. Professor Chiu also participated in Professor Au’s start-up, Cornerstone Robotics, to develop an affordable robotic surgical platform, which is now in use not only in Hong Kong but also in the Chinese mainland, the United Kingdom and Singapore.

Looking ahead, Professor Chiu hopes that innovation will enable remote operation and supervision of surgery, as well as improve the quality of surgery through the capture, organisation, analysis and modelling of data. He also envisions the use of nanorobots in the future. Guided by endoscopes and external magnetic control, nanorobots can steer into small internal ducts such as the bile ducts and pancreatic ducts for treatment. It might even be applied to respond to coronary occlusions and cerebrovascular occlusions.

Returned to CUHK to teach in 2005, Professor Chiu also shared his time at his alma mater. He stressed that many professors at the Faculty of Medicine had a profound influence on him. Among them were his respected mentor, former Dean Professor Chung Sheung Chee Sydney, and another former Dean as well as former Vice-Chancellor of CUHK, Professor Li Kwok Cheung Arthur, both of whom were key figures in bringing minimally invasive surgery to Hong Kong. Professor Chiu further acknowledged the guidance he received from Professor Sung Jao Yiu Joseph, renowned physician and gastroenterologist as well as former CUHK Vice-Chancellor and President, and Professor Lau Yun Wong James, Yao Ling Sun Professor of Surgery.

Professor Chiu Wai Yan Philip demonstrated how interdisciplinary integration between medicine and engineering is making cancer interventions significantly safer, more precise and more accessible, while highlighting Hong Kong’s advantages in this field. (Right) Mr. Chan Cho Biu Eric, Chairman of the Excellence Talk Series Committee of the CCC 75th Anniversary Celebration Organizing Committee presented a souvenir to Professor Chiu.

Leading Change through Artificial Intelligence

The afternoon session featured Professor Herbert Chia, Senior Advisor of Alibaba Cloud Intelligence Hong Kong and Macao, former Vice President of Alibaba Group, and Adjunct Associate Professor of the Institute for China Business at The University of Hong Kong. Themed “Leading Change through Artificial Intelligence”, Professor Chia started from the current state of AI development, offered recommendations on how to develop and apply AI, and highlighted the core value of AI in enhancing human intelligence.

Nowadays, competition in the field of Large Language Models (LLMs) is fierce within the AI community. These models reflect an aspiration toward Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), in which AI increasingly resembles human intelligence. Professor Chia, however, believes there are still several bottlenecks. First, “larger” models, which consume more power and have more parameters, do not necessarily yield proportionally stronger “intelligence”. Second, since most tools on the AI list are geared towards scientific rather than everyday problems, even the most powerful models may not be suitable for the general commercial use.

He noted that some scientists now propose “Harness Engineering” to ensure that AI develops stably and produces results aligned with human needs and ethics, reflecting humanity’s pursuit of transparency in AI systems. Even for general users, he suggested that setting the right prompts when using AI can help avoid issues such as flattery, formulaic answers and hallucination.

Professor Chia added that when asking AI to respond honestly, providing detailed users information and allowing sufficient time for answers (although a short response time can lead to lower costs) can help the system deliver stable, verifiable and personalised responses. Users can also instruct AI to adopt specific roles – such as supporter, critic or strategic analyst, as well as emphasise the “discuss before answer” practice to improve response quality. Finally, given that LLM do not store “memories”, Professor Chia recommended that users make use of the applications which have a memory storage function and build their own knowledge bases to maintain continuity of usage.

Regarding the future direction of AI development, Professor Chia believes it will evolve towards intelligence augmentation (IA), with humans in the lead and AI as support, thereby truly enhancing human intelligence. He shared his vision of cultivating AI as his second brain - “augmented intelligence”: by feeding AI with his personal “learning diary” so that it can synthesise his thinking patterns, knowledge, values and behaviors, and in turn offer development advice tailored to him. But this “augmented intelligence” is not a fully automated version of oneself, but an AI whose ideas resemble one’s own and which can grow together with its user. He emphasised that AI can boost personal intelligence so that one is not replaced by AI.

Professor Chia Pun Kok Herbert examined how AI is reshaping industries and society and discussed how to maintain competitiveness in the AI era. (Right) Mr. Eric Chan presented a souvenir to Professor Chia as a token of appreciation.

Popularity Proven by the Diversity of Audience

The talk drew participants from a wide range of age groups, including dozens of students from Fung Kai Liu Man Shek Tong Secondary School and Fung Kai No. 1 Secondary School. Their thoughtful questions during the Q&A session highlighted both the event’s diversity and young people's interest in technological innovation.

Although the “Excellence Talk Series” has come to an end, the college will continue to host major events for CCers of all generations. Registration is open for the “CC75 Anniversary Trip: Chung Chi Cruise Tour,” which now offers group discounts for alumni groups. Moreover, the 75th Anniversary Banquet will be held on 31 October at the Grand Hall, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center. Teachers, alumni, and students can celebrate together, and table reservations are now open.

The “Chung Chi College 75th Anniversary Excellence Talk Series” concluded with its final two talks themed “Future Innovation”, attracting over 600 attendees participated in the event.