On 10 February 2025, the Programme on Artificial Intelligence and the Law at HKU hosted the conference “Regulating Artificial Intelligence in the Public Interest” that attracted a full house of audience – around 110 participants from the academic, legal, corporate, and public sectors.  The conference featured Professor Ruth Okediji (also our Faculty’s Cheng Yu Tung Visiting Professor) from Harvard Law School  who gave a Keynote Speech “Intellectual Property and Human Dignity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence”, and 3 panels with speakers from law firms (Clifford Chance, Des Voeux Chambers), tech companies (Microsoft, Alibaba Cloud), corporate sector (Toys”R”Us Asia), as well as academia (East China University of Political Science and Law and HKU).

This conference focused on the intersection of artificial intelligence and various legal and ethical considerations. The keynote speech explored the relationships between intellectual property and human dignity in the age of AI. Panel discussions covered topics such as AI and intellectual property, data privacy, dispute resolution, transparency, and accountability. Experts from academia, legal practice, and corporate industries share insights on how AI impacts different sectors and the challenges and opportunities it presents. The event deepened the understanding and stimulated discussions on the evolving landscape of AI and its implications for the society.

Professor Ruth Okediji giving her Keynote Speech

The conference had a full house of audience

The Honourable Mr. Justice David Lok, Judge of the Court of First Instance of the HKSAR High Court spoke in Panel 1.
Left: Prof. Wang Qian from the East China University of Political Science and Law, Judge Lok, Winnie Yeung (Director, Legal & Corporate Affairs, Microsoft (Greater China)), and Ling Ho (Partner, Clifford Chance).

Winnie Tam SC (Independent Arbitrator and Senior Counsel of the Hong Kong Bar, Des Voeux Chambers) spoke in Panel 2.
Right: Winnie Tam SC, Ngai Tseung Cheung (Head of Information Technology & Health Informatics and Chief Medical Informatics Officer, HKSAR Hospital Authority),  Sunny Guan (Director, Legal & Compliance, Alibaba Cloud), and Brian Tang (Principal Professional Practitioner; Founding Executive Director, LITE Lab@HKU, HKU).

Adam Au (General Counsel, Toys”R”Us Asia) spoke in panel 3.
Right: Adam Au, Herman Cappelen (Chair Professor & Director, AI & Humanity Lab, HKU), Haochen Sun (Professor of Law; Director, Programme on AI and the Law, HKU), Scott Veitch (Paul KC Chung Professor in Jurisprudence) as the Moderator of the panel.

Group photo with speakers and moderators

Video recordings of the conference are available at YouTube.