CUHK(SZ) on 13 February, 2025 unveiled its eighth school – the School of Artificial Intelligence (SAI) – and pledged to develop it into an innovation hub for AI technologies.

The inauguration of the new school comes at a pivotal moment, as the Chinese pioneering AI application Deepseek captures the global spotlight.

“The primary motivation behind establishing the SAI is to remain aligned with global trends and advancements in the field of artificial intelligence.,” CUHK(SZ) President Xu Yangsheng said at the inauguration ceremony.

President Xu emphasised that the goals are to propel academic advancements in AI, ensure the University evolves in sync with cutting-edge AI technologies, and nurture top-tier AI talent.

Since its establishment in 2014, the University has strategically positioned artificial intelligence as a key focus. In 2024, 40 of its researchers were selected for Stanford University’s “World’s Top 2 percent Scientists List”.

Professor Fan Jianqing, a globally recognised AI expert, was appointed the academic dean of the new school.

He believes the world is on the brink of an AI revolution. “AI large language models are merely tests of concepts; the possibilities of AI for scientific discoveries and technological innovations are far beyond our imagination,” he said.

He also acknowledged the challenge posed by diverse societal needs, alongside AI security and ethics — issues that the new school is also committed to addressing as part of its mission.