The CityU GPT Chatbot, to be launched in the 2023/24 academic year at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) in response to the rapid development of generative AI (GenAI), will support faculty, staff and students in teaching, learning and administrative activities and assist eight HK Tech 300 start-ups in expanding outside Hong Kong during the first phase of launching. 

Professor Freddy Boey Yin Chiang, President of CityU, said CityU would promote innovative, inspirational and interactive learning, adding that learning-centric education was crucial in today’s ever-changing world. The advent of GenAI allows CityU to explore different plans for employing education technology to facilitate more effective learning and develop innovative and breakthrough technologies. 

The CityU GPT Chatbot will provide a free technology integrated learning platform. It conforms to our cyber security rules, and an advanced version will be available to researchers, teachers and admin personnel.

“CityU is leading local universities in integrating cutting-edge digital teaching methods and interactive learning experiences,” said Professor Ray Cheung Chak-chung, Associate Provost (Digital Learning). 

“By leveraging advanced technology, we can create a dynamic learning environment that equips students with the skills required to thrive in the digital era. We can foster their creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving abilities in preparation for future success. CityU is committed to nurturing a digitally competent and technologically responsible generation, thus augmenting our contributions to society,” he said.

In addition, eight HK Tech 300 start-ups that involve CityU elements and are related to GenAI business have been selected for a Chatbot pilot scheme using the most advanced time-saving technologies to assist in many tasks, such as writing proposals for overseas funding, a process expected to boost these start-ups in the overseas market.

The start-up Mindlayer, which was granted a HK Tech 300 Angel Fund in 2022, is dedicated to offering the best AI experience through its Conversational AI Platform. It uses cutting-edge natural language processing and speech recognition technologies that detect simple instructions and automatically generate materials with the right tone for specific targets.

Mr Kinni Mew, the founder of Mindlayer and a CityU alumnus from the College of Engineering, said using CityU GPT Chatbot helped save costs and enhanced productivity and operating efficiency. “GPT Chatbot can help us generate marketing materials, such as social media posts and tailor-made marketing pitching reports. Compared with issuing only 10 pitching emails per day in the past, we can now send out marketing pitching to up to 50 clients in one day with the GPT Chatbot. Plus we can create eye-catching materials fit for clients’ needs,” he said, adding that both speed and efficiency could be greatly increased.

Media enquiries: Julian Ng, Communications and Public Relations Office, CityU (Tel: 3442 2569 or 9271 9769)