On 2 July 2025, Dr. Ding Wenxuan, Professor of Artificial Intelligence and Business Analytics at emlyon business school of France, was invited to the School of Business (MSB) of Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST), to deliver an academic seminar titled “Generative AI in Scientific Discovery”. 70 faculty members and students attended the seminar, which not only deepened their understanding of generative artificial intelligence, but also promoted the exchange and integration of ideas across different disciplines. The seminar was held successfully and also injected vitality into the academic atmosphere of MSB.
Group photo of Professor Ding Wenxuan (second from right in the front row) with faculty members and students attending the lecture
During the seminar, Professor Ding applied a simple and understandable method to analyze whether artificial intelligence (AI) can make scientific discoveries like humans. She provided an in-depth explanation of the role of AI and its processes, exploring the relationships between data, information, and knowledge. Professor Ding emphasized the essential differences between generative AI and human scientists in the innovation process, noting that current AI can only achieve incremental innovations and cannot replicate the “from zero to one” breakthroughs that humans can achieve. This further highlights the core and irreplaceable role of humans in scientific exploration.
Professor Ding Wenxuan shared insights on the topic
During the subsequent interactive session, faculty members and students actively asked questions and discussed topics such as the similarities and differences between classical AI and generative AI, the development of large language models, key influencing factors in human decision-making, and the ethical and moral issues that AI may raise. Professor Ding responded based on her rich experience with relevant case studies, enabling attendees to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the underlying logic and application scenarios of generative AI.
On-site interactive session
Professor Wenxuan Ding is currently working at emlyon business school in France. She holds a PhD in Cognitive Science and Information Technology from Carnegie Mellon University in USA. Her research focuses on the forefront theoretical of AI “Frontier basic AI theory” and interdisciplinary AI applications, spanning both business and scientific fields. Professor Ding’s numerous academic contributions have been published in international business journals and top computer science conferences, including “Information Systems Research”, “Journal of Business Venturing”, “Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science”, and “International Journal of Research in Marketing”, etc.
(Contributed and reviewed by Associate Professor Zheng Lei, format reviewed by Helen Kam)
