Faculty and students from Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management (Tsinghua SEM) held an academic discussion with Brandon Donnelly, an expert in artificial intelligence and machine learning, on March 13 in Beijing. The discussion delved into how new technologies are transforming academic research and business practices, with a focus on AI frontier trends and their implications for management disciplines. Approximately 100 attendees, including faculty, students, alumni, and industry representatives, participated in the event.

Participants pose for a group photo at the academic exchange event.

Assistant to the Dean Lin Zhijie attended the event and delivered opening remarks. He emphasized the school's continued commitment to deepening the integration of AI with management disciplines through comprehensive initiatives spanning curriculum development, talent cultivation, and academic research. LIN expressed optimism that such events would establish a global industry-university-research collaboration platform to collectively develop new management paradigms for the AI era.

Lin Zhijie delivers an opening remarks at the event.

Donnelly delivered a keynote speech titled "Innovation and Practice in AI Frontier Fields," providing an in-depth analysis of current AI technology development trends. Drawing on his extensive global experience in the AI industry, he shared insights into AI's application frameworks across domains such as intelligent decision-making, enterprise management, and fintech. He observed that AI is rapidly transitioning from laboratories to real-world economies, with widespread adoption across various sectors including healthcare, finance, manufacturing, and culture. Donnelly stressed that business leaders must accurately assess both AI's technological advantages and its potential risks while developing scientifically grounded implementation strategies to maximize its benefits. Addressing AI-driven workforce transformation, he emphasized that future core competitiveness will hinge on cross-domain collaboration and tool mastery. "We live in a world full of answers," he said. "The real challenge lies in asking better questions." Using the dinosaur statue at Googleplex as a metaphor, he urged the audience, "Rather than fearing the dinosaur, we must learn to ride it," advocating for continuous learning and capability evolution to sustain leadership through technological waves.

Brandon Donnelly presents his keynote speech at the event.

Participating faculty and students enthusiastically posed questions on topics ranging from entrepreneurial opportunities in niche AI fields to professional upskilling amid technological trends. Donnelly recommended that entrepreneurs begin by clarifying their market positioning, studying AI implementation cases from various enterprises, and focusing on high-value application scenarios. For professionals, he advised strengthening holistic thinking, avoiding excessive specialization, and continuously mastering AI tools and methodologies to tackle contemporary challenges.

Brandon Donnelly engages in discussion with students after the event.

Faculty and students indicated that this exchange event facilitated in-depth dialogue between academia and industry, contributed to interdisciplinary innovation integrating AI and management studies, and provided new perspectives and inspiration for exploring development pathways in the AI era.

Attendees gather for a group photo at the event's conclusion.

Editor: Ren Zhongxi