Zhou Bowen, a well-known artificial intelligence (AI) scientist with experience at IBM and JD.com, has been appointed as the new head of the Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Lab following the passing of its original director, Tang Xiao’ou. Zhou is a US citizen and a graduate of the University of Science and Technology of China and the University of Colorado at Boulder. He has held prominent roles at IBM and JD.com, where he focused on cloud and AI research.
The Shanghai AI Lab is a leading research institution with partnerships with universities in mainland China as well as Hong Kong. Zhou’s appointment as director comes after the unfortunate death of Tang, who played a key role in establishing the lab back in 2020. Tang was a respected facial recognition expert and co-founder of SenseTime Group.
In his new role, Zhou aims to address the current imbalance in global AI development, where performance often takes precedence over safety. He advocates for a more safety-focused approach that considers the long-term impact and risks of AI systems. The Shanghai AI Lab’s mission is to conduct original and influential research that contributes to fundamental theories in the field.
Zhou’s extensive experience in AI research and industry positions him well to lead the Shanghai AI Lab into a new era of innovation and collaboration. His background at leading companies like IBM and JD.com, as well as his academic credentials, make him a valuable asset to the lab’s mission of advancing AI technology responsibly and ethically. With Zhou at the helm, the lab is poised to make significant contributions to the field of artificial intelligence and shape the future of AI development in China and beyond.
Article Source
https://amp.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3269319/former-ibm-scientist-helms-shanghai-ai-lab-after-death-sensetimes-tang-xiaoou