Lingnan University co-hosts 2026 Summit on AI Ethics and Governance; Vice-President Prof Xin Yao advocates AI governance grounded in ESG and sustainable development

In his welcome speech, Prof Xin Yao, Vice-President (Research and Innovation) and Tong Tin Sun Chair Professor of Machine Learning at Lingnan University, explained that AI has changed from a tool that helps people into systems that can act on their own and carry out increasingly difficult tasks. He said AI creates risks such as the exposure of private personal information. It also raises wider concerns about fairness, society, the environment, and energy use. He called for clear rules and ways to manage AI responsibly, based on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These principles focus on protecting the environment, treating people fairly, managing organisations responsibly, and supporting sustainable development. He said China has become one of the world's leaders in AI technology and its practical uses. However, different countries and regions have different rules for AI, creating new difficulties. To deal with these challenges, universities, researchers, and businesses are working more closely together on both AI technology and the rules that guide its use. He said the Summit gives AI experts and researchers from around the world an important chance to share experiences and discuss how AI can be developed responsibly.

The Summit included an Academicians' Forum, a University Presidents Forum, and several Distinguished Speaker Presentations. Well-known AI researchers from around the world shared their newest research results and ideas. They discussed topics such as the development of AI agents, which are AI systems that can carry out tasks on their own, computer system security, and other new problems and opportunities created by AI.

Ms Anni Lai, Co-Chair of Generative AI Commons, explained that generative AI is quickly developing into AI agents that can complete several steps of a task without constant human help. These agents can access private or sensitive information and can even make changes to computer systems used in real work. This creates new challenges for setting rules and managing AI safely. She stressed that as AI agents become more capable, people must still be responsible for what these systems do. Instead of giving up control, people should focus more on checking AI's work, making sure its results are correct, giving permission for important actions, and watching over the decisions AI makes.

Prof Tang Ke, Chair Professor and Head of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Southern University of Science and Technology, discussed how newer AI agents, including Muse and Claude, can act independently and adjust to new situations. He said these abilities have, to some extent, brought to life ideas about artificial life that researchers have discussed for decades. Looking at AI through the idea of evolution, he explained how AI agents may change and improve on their own and how they may develop together with their surroundings and other AI agents. His analysis offered important ideas about how AI agents might one day become a leading "species" in the digital world.

Prof Cho Sung-bae, a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and Professor at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, shared his country's experience in creating ethical principles for AI. He explained that South Korea introduced a law called the "Basic Act on the Development of Artificial Intelligence and the Establishment of a Foundation for Trustworthiness". The law encourages people, organisations, and government departments to use AI. It has also become the main foundation for developing AI ethics standards and guidelines in South Korea.

The Summit also included the official launch of a new book, AI for Good and Sustainable Development: Responsible AI Governance from an ESG Perspective. The book was written by Prof Xin Yao and Prof Huang Changwu, Associate Professor in the School of AI and Liberal Arts at Beijing Normal-Hong Kong Baptist University. The article said three respected members of national academies recommended the book at the event, naming Academician Li Guojie and Academician Chen Guoliang.

The book is based on the idea of "human-centred, AI for good". This means AI should be developed to help people and benefit society. It introduces a new way to manage AI responsibly, called the "Responsible AI—ESG—SDGs" framework. This approach brings together responsible AI, Environmental, Social and Governance principles, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. It argues that AI technology should develop in ways that match good management practices, social values, and environmental protection. The book also examines existing AI policies, laws, industry standards, and ways of managing AI used by leading companies around the world. It calls for a practical "AI Impact Assessment Methodology", a clear method for checking how AI affects people, organisations, and the environment. The book aims to give governments, businesses, universities, researchers, and the public useful and easy-to-follow guidance. Its goal is to help organisations make ethical and responsible AI practices part of how they normally work, rather than treating them only as outside rules they must follow.