[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, said AI should remain a tool rather than a master in education. His team used a generative AI model to identify hidden epigenetic information in DNA sequences. CUHK categorizes courses by whether AI is required, permitted with disclosure or prohibited, while emphasizing independent problem-solving and academic integrity. Lo also wants students to learn intellectual property protection and entrepreneurship earlier.

The hidden epigenetic information can help indicate whether DNA came from the heart, brain or a tumor despite identical underlying sequences.

CUHK provides general education courses in computational thinking and digital literacy and offers students access to AI tools at different levels.

Lo said researchers should disclose AI use for tasks such as suggesting research directions or proofreading, and manuscripts still require a final human check.

Lo identified fetal DNA circulating in pregnant women’s blood in 1997, laying the groundwork for noninvasive prenatal testing for certain chromosomal conditions, including Down syndrome.

The resulting prenatal testing technology has been used by more than 100 million women worldwide, including in Korea, according to Lo.

Published Oct 19, 2026 1:07 pm KST

Dennis Lo says AI is tool, not substitute for human judgment

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

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.”

香港中文大学校长兼副校长卢毓明表示，人工智能在教育中应保持工具而非主导地位。他的团队运用生成式人工智能模型来识别DNA序列中隐藏的表观遗传信息。香港中文大学根据人工智能的使用情况对课程进行分类，分为必修、允许披露使用和禁止使用三种，同时强调独立解决问题的能力和学术诚信。卢毓明还希望学生更早地学习知识产权保护和创业知识。

即使底层序列相同，隐藏的表观遗传信息也能帮助判断 DNA 是来自心脏、大脑还是肿瘤。

香港中文大学提供计算思维和数字素养方面的通识教育课程，并为学生提供不同级别的AI工具使用机会。

Lo表示，研究人员应该披露人工智能在诸如提出研究方向或校对等任务中的使用情况，而且稿件仍然需要最终的人工审核。

1997 年，罗氏发现了孕妇血液中循环的胎儿 DNA，为对某些染色体疾病（包括唐氏综合征）进行无创产前检测奠定了基础。

据罗先生称，由此产生的产前检测技术已被全球超过1亿名女性使用，其中包括韩国女性。

发布于2026年10月19日下午1:07（韩国标准时间）

丹尼斯·洛表示，人工智能只是一种工具，不能取代人类的判断。

9月1日，香港中文大学校长兼副校长卢毓明站在香港新界马六水校区俯瞰校园。韩国时报崔元硕摄

这是《韩国时报》系列访谈的第六篇。该系列访谈旨在采访全球顶尖大学校长，探讨在人工智能、人口结构变化和地缘政治不确定性等因素影响下，各高校如何重新定义教育、科研和国际合作。本系列访谈由韩国新闻基金会新闻推广基金资助。

香港——当被问及人工智能（AI）最令他感到惊讶的是什么时，香港中文大学（中大）副校长兼校长卢毓明提到了构成人类DNA的四个字母：A、C、T和G。

这位著名遗传学家在香港大学校园接受《韩国时报》采访时解释说，人工智能如何帮助他的研究团队发现了隐藏在那些熟悉的序列中的信息——这一发现甚至让一位早期工作改变了产前检测的科学家都感到惊讶。

“人工智能只是一种工具，它不是我们的主人。”罗教授说道。对于这位如今领导着亚洲顶尖研究型大学的科学家而言，这种区别在课堂上和实验室里都同样重要。

他的团队一直想知道，DNA序列是否包含传统分析方法无法轻易检测到的信息。

他说：“我们开发了一种生成式人工智能模型。令人惊讶的是，我们发现其中隐藏着一层信息。”

隐藏层包含表观遗传信息，有助于解释为何具有相同DNA序列的细胞功能却可能不同。他解释说，人工智能分析可以帮助识别DNA究竟来源于心脏、大脑还是肿瘤，即使底层序列相同。

为了解释这一点，罗将DNA比作Word文档。文字内容可能保持不变，但字体、字号和其他格式会发生变化。DNA也有其自身的“格式”，这可以为疾病和衰老提供线索。

“我认为人工智能非常了不起，”他说，并称其“可能是人类有史以来最重要的创新之一”。

然而，Lo 对学生和研究人员应该如何使用这项技术划定了明确的界限。

香港中文大学将课程分为三类：要求使用人工智能的课程、允许使用但需披露信息的课程以及禁止使用人工智能的课程。学生还需修读涵盖计算思维和数字素养的通识教育课程，同时大学也提供不同级别的人工智能工具使用权限。

罗表示，这种方法的目的是平衡学生接触人工智能与他们通过传统方法解决问题的能力。

香港中文大学也参与国际大学网络，探讨人工智能在教育领域的应用。罗先生提到，该校参与了位于香港和深圳交界河套地区的人工智能学院项目。

罗还强调了研究的透明度。如果科学家使用人工智能来提出可能的研究方向或校对论文，他们应该公开披露，包括在适当的方法部分进行说明。

“学术诚信才是最重要的美德，”他说道，并补充说，没有学术诚信，研究就不可信。

他说，即使是经过人工智能校对的手稿，在研究人员签字确认其质量之前，也需要进行最终的人工检查。

9月1日，香港中文大学校长兼副校长卢毓明在香港新界马六水校区接受《韩国时报》采访时回答记者提问。（《韩国时报》崔元硕摄）

从实验室发现到商业成功

罗教授毕生致力于将实验室发现转化为医疗技术。1997年，他发现了孕妇血液中循环的胎儿DNA，这一发现为无创产前检测奠定了基础。

罗女士表示，这项新技术利用孕妇的血液样本筛查某些染色体异常疾病，包括唐氏综合征。全球已有超过1亿名女性使用过这项技术，其中包括韩国的女性。

他还开发了非侵入性癌症筛查技术，并已将相关专利研究成果商业化。

他正利用自己的经验，帮助香港中文大学的研究人员将他们的研究成果推向市场。

“我读书的时候，没人教过我怎么写专利，”他回忆起自己多年来的摸索和失败经历时说道。他希望学生们能更早地学习知识产权保护方面的知识。

该大学通过其创新创业中心 InnoPort 支持有抱负的创业者，并在邻近的深圳扩大了其研究和商业化活动。

罗教授也希望不同学科的研究人员能够携手合作。在他自己的实验室里，大约一半的团队成员从事生命科学研究，另一半则专注于计算和人工智能。在香港中文大学的其他实验室里，研究人员正在探索从外科手术机器人到卫星图像处理等各种应用。

该大学也在考虑将人工智能应用于行政工作，不过罗表示，保护敏感数据至关重要。一种方案是训练开源模型供内部使用。

他表示有兴趣加强与韩国的学术交流，回顾了访问首尔国立大学的经历，并赞扬了韩国在基因组医学领域的研究。他还提到了韩国基因组测序公司Macrogen，并表示香港中文大学希望吸引更多韩国学生，拓展交流项目。

在罗先生看来，大学教育的意义远不止于技术技能。香港中文大学的九个本科学院为学生提供了一个个小型社群，让他们能够在课堂和实验室之外建立人际关系。学校正在筹建第十个研究生学院。

他将这些学院形容为“第二个家”。有些学院会组织学生一起用餐和参加活动，从而为学生提供更多个性化的支持。

罗说：“大学的根本作用在于教给学生一套自我教育、自我提升的框架。”

他希望毕业生能够热衷于为社会做出贡献，并愿意“领导、服务和做出改变”。