Standing Out in the Age of AI: Inside Our Latest Panel Discussion at UoM East Asia Centre

Last Thursday, the University of Manchester East Asia Centre hosted an energizing and interactive AI Panel Discussion titled "What Makes You Stand Out When Competing With an AI?" at our Causeway Bay campus (Suite 3303, Lee Garden One).

The evening kicked off with a lively networking reception over drinks and refreshments. It was a wonderful opportunity for our community members, HR professionals, and industry peers to catch up and exchange ideas. We were also thrilled to welcome esteemed chamber of commerce partners to the room, including members from HKJCCI and CanCham, making for a rich and diverse mix of professional perspectives before diving into the big questions.

The heart of the night featured an engaging audience Q&A session alongside our brilliant speakers, Ian Law (Group Programme Director, Retail Transformation at DFI Retail Group) and our very own alumna Tina Cheung (Global MBA Class of 2019 and Senior Talent Management at John Swire & Sons, HK).

Ian kicked off the conversation by challenging us to look at leadership through the lens of curiosity, noting that curiosity is the true engine of creativity. He pointed out that what will separate good professionals from great ones in the future is real-time agility: the ability to think and respond instantly in dynamic situations like live panels. While AI can sometimes feel like a shiny gimmick, Ian reminded the room that authentic human presence is irreplaceable where customers actually are, making an omnichannel approach vital.

Tina brought a powerful perspective on leadership and the art of human connection, reminding everyone that empathy can never be automated. Drawing on her own professional journey, she highlighted how vital creativity remains for driving real-world business results and re-engineering internal processes. It was especially inspiring for our community to see a proud University of Manchester Global MBA graduate leading the charge on such a cutting-edge topic!

The lively audience exchange also brought out practical everyday strategies. Discussions emphasized the importance of fact-checking and verifying sources to truly understand the thinking behind tech tools. We shared a clever meta-tip: using one AI system to prompt another to accelerate learning and reinforced the golden rule: asking deep questions matters more than simply accepting answers.

Thank you to Ian, Tina, our chamber partners, and everyone who joined us for such a memorable evening of discussion and connection.