INTERVIEW Scientist-turned-CUHK president puts independent thinking at heart of AI education
Dennis Lo Yuk-ming, vice-chancellor and president of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, stands overlooking the university's campus in Ma Liu Shui, New Territories, Hong Kong, Sept. 1. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
Dennis Lo says AI is tool, not substitute for human judgment
Editor’s note
This is the sixth in a series of interviews as The Korea Times speaks with leading university presidents across the globe to examine how institutions are redefining education, research and international collaboration in an era shaped by artificial intelligence, demographic shifts and geopolitical uncertainty. The series is supported by the Korea Press Foundation's Press Promotion Fund.
HONG KONG — When asked what surprised him most about artificial intelligence (AI), Dennis Lo Yuk-ming, vice-chancellor and president of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), turned to the four letters that make up human DNA: A, C, T and G.
Speaking to The Korea Times at the university’s campus in Hong Kong, the renowned geneticist explained how AI had helped his research team uncover information hidden within those familiar sequences — a finding that surprised even a scientist whose earlier work transformed prenatal testing.
“AI is just a tool. It is not our master,” Lo said. For a scientist who now leads one of Asia’s major research universities, that distinction matters as much in the classroom as it does in the laboratory.
His team had wondered whether DNA sequences held information that conventional analysis could not readily detect.
“We developed a generative AI model,” he said. “Surprisingly, we find there’s a hidden layer of information.”
The hidden layer contains epigenetic information that helps explain how cells with the same DNA sequence can function differently. AI analysis, he explained, can help identify whether DNA originated from the heart, brain or a tumor, even when the underlying sequence is the same.
To explain, Lo compared DNA to a Word document. The words may stay the same, but fonts, sizes and other formatting can change. DNA also has its own form of “formatting,” which can offer clues about disease and aging.
“I think AI is amazing,” he said, calling it “probably one of the most important innovations that humans have ever made.”
Yet Lo draws clear boundaries when it comes to how students and researchers should use the technology.
CUHK divides courses into three categories: those requiring AI use, those allowing it with disclosure and those prohibiting it. Students also take general education courses covering computational thinking and digital literacy, while the university provides access to AI tools at different levels.
Lo said the approach was intended to balance students’ exposure to AI with their ability to solve problems through traditional methods.
CUHK also participates in international university networks discussing AI in education. Lo cited its involvement in an AI academy in the Hetao area between Hong Kong and Shenzhen.
Lo also stressed transparency in research. If scientists use AI to suggest possible directions or proofread a paper, they should disclose it, including in the methods section where appropriate.
“Academic integrity and honesty is actually the most important virtue,” he said, adding that without it, research cannot be trusted.
Even an AI-proofread manuscript needs a final human check, he said, before a researcher signs off on its quality.
Dennis Lo Yuk-ming, vice-chancellor and president of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, answers questions during an interview with The Korea Times at the university's campus in Ma Liu Shui, New Territories, Hong Kong, Sept. 1. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
From lab discoveries to commercial success
Lo has spent much of his career turning laboratory discoveries into medical technologies. In 1997, he identified fetal DNA circulating in a pregnant woman’s blood, a finding that laid the groundwork for noninvasive prenatal testing.
The resulting technology screens for certain chromosomal conditions, including Down syndrome, using a maternal blood sample. It has been used by more than 100 million women worldwide, including in Korea, Lo said.
He has also developed noninvasive cancer screening technologies, with patented research subsequently commercialized.
He is drawing on that experience to help CUHK researchers bring their own discoveries to market.
“When I was a student myself, nobody taught me how to write patents,” he said, recalling years of trial and error. He wants students to learn about intellectual property protection much earlier.
The university supports aspiring entrepreneurs through InnoPort, its innovation and entrepreneurship hub, and has expanded its research and commercialization activities in neighboring Shenzhen.
Lo also wants researchers from different disciplines to work together. In his own laboratory, roughly half the team works in life sciences, while the other half focuses on computation and AI. Elsewhere at CUHK, researchers are exploring applications ranging from surgical robotics to satellite image processing.
The university is also considering using AI in administrative work, although Lo said protecting sensitive data would be essential. One option is training open-source models for internal use.
He expressed interest in strengthening academic exchanges with Korea, recalling visits to Seoul National University and praising Korean research in genomic medicine. He also mentioned Korean genome sequencing company Macrogen and said CUHK hopes to attract more Korean students and expand exchange programs.
For Lo, university education goes beyond technological skills. CUHK’s nine undergraduate colleges provide smaller communities where students can develop relationships beyond lectures and laboratories. A tenth college for postgraduate students is being planned.
He described the colleges as a “home away from home.” Some bring students together for meals and activities, allowing more individual support.
“The fundamental role of the university is to basically teach students a framework of self-education, self-improvement,” Lo said.
He wants graduates who are passionate about making a difference in society and willing “to lead, to serve and to make change.”