Hong Kong educators, tech industry leaders discuss AI at Principal’s Forum
Annual event, hosted by the South China Morning Post, focused on how technology is revolutionising the learning environment.
Student Naphat Chanpongsang (far right) speaks in a panel about mental health during the third annual Hong Kong Principals’ Forum. Photo: HandoutBefore you read: Artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT have been shaking up the education landscape, forcing schools to grapple with its impact on creativity and learning. The annual Principals’ Forum brought educators and tech leaders together to discuss AI’s role in music, the arts, and more
Think about it: What are the benefits of using AI to address mental health issues in Hong Kong, especially for teens? What are the downsides?
As technology evolves, educators are looking to understand the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on student learning.
More than 300 Hong Kong principals, educators and tech industry leaders gathered to discuss the topic last Tuesday at the annual Principals’ Forum.
Hosted by the South China Morning Post, “AI Empowerment: Enabling Schools for Tomorrow 2024” focused on how AI technology and digital resources are revolutionising the learning environment. Panels discussed the development of AI in sectors such as music, arts, sports and mental health.
Opportunities in mental health
Naphat Chanpongsang was diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder three years ago. In a panel titled “Is AI the Future of Mental Healthcare? Opportunities vs Challenges”, the 18-year-old student credited AI for helping her learn coping strategies when she was first diagnosed.
“I think AI helped a lot with the research aspect ... [I searched] ‘what are the common symptoms of generalised anxiety disorder?’ to find out the mental and physical symptoms and then made a [checklist] for myself,” said Naphat, who is in Year 13 at Singapore International School.
Naphat said she was not alone in her struggles, as a recent government study found that nearly one in four adolescents in Hong Kong suffered from a mental health disorder last year.
Based on her experience working with the elderly, the teen believes AI could help them.
In 2023, she founded the non-profit organisation CARElderly, which makes fidget aprons with features like clips, buckles, shoe laces, and other interactive and stimulating materials stitched into it.
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“They are mainly used for dementia because it helps [seniors] with their memory,” Naphat explained. She hopes AI can help alleviate the loneliness and isolation that many people in this group feel.
“[Elderly people] feel abandoned, lonely and frustrated,” she said during the panel, saying that things like AI chatbots are “available 24/7, and they’re compatible with them. They can adjust to their needs and what they want to talk about.”
While Naphat recognised AI’s benefits in mental health, she felt real therapists and the “human element of caring” were irreplaceable.
“My therapist and I would cry over a conversation, and I think that’s something that can never be replicated with AI because AI ... doesn’t have the capability of understanding empathy,” she said.
AI in music and sports
Another panel called “Classrooms Re-Imagined: AI-Enhanced Experiential Learning in Art, Music and Sports” gave principals a glimpse into recent AI advancements in these fields.
Dr Raymond So, director of elite training science and technology at the Hong Kong Sports Institute, said he was excited about AI’s potential in athletics.
He explained how AI can make training and recovery more efficient, as it can be used to study games and training sessions to collect data to improve performance.
Additionally, So felt that AI could revolutionise sports safety, saying it could determine whether an athlete is fit for training or is too unwell to participate.
“We can have a good understanding of their daily wellness and their responses during training. If there are any risk factors or threats, [we can] stop the training and minimise them,” So said. “AI can contribute to keeping the athletes healthy.”
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Professor Johnny Poon, associate vice-president of interdisciplinary research at Baptist University, spoke about working with an AI choir.
He said that new types of music and timbres are at our fingertips thanks to AI. Poon used the example of AI singing a Chinese song in a French accent.
However, he noted that the technology should not be used to replace human artists: “We should look at AI as a collaborator as well as a possibility of inspiration and expanded creativity,” he explained. “It’s a platform not to replace real humans performing [and] making art, but to liberate minds as a spirit of adventure, a spirit of innovation, a spirit of trying to think for the future,” he said.
Poon said educators had a responsibility to create a nurturing space that encouraged students to explore things like AI for creativity. “We need to provide this kind of environment and this kind of opportunity, these kinds of conditions, for them to grow, and that’s all we can do.”
The Education Bureau, Hong Kong Principals’ Institute and Hong Kong Direct Subsidy Scheme Schools Council are the forum’s founding organisations. Preface has been the platinum sponsor of the event for three consecutive years.