HONG KONG, Nov. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — In an era driven by artificial intelligence (AI), the deep integration of advanced technologies into healthcare has become an unstoppable trend. These innovations are reshaping the industry, accelerating transformation, and driving unprecedented breakthroughs. From November 22 to 23, 2024, the 2nd Hong Kong Clinical-driven Robotics and Embodied AI TEchnology Symposium (CREATE Symposium), organized by the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR) of Hong Kong Institute of Science and Innovation (HKISI), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), opened grandly at the Charles K. Kao Auditorium, Hong Kong Science Park (HKSTP). The event received support from the Beijing-Hong Kong Exchange of Personnel Centre, the Hong Kong Top Talent Services Association (HKTTSA), the Hong Kong Information Technology Joint Council, and HKSTP Corporation. 

The symposium brought together leading global scholars and experts to explore the innovative application of medical technologies in clinical practice while showcasing breakthrough achievements like the “CARES Copilot 2.0,” a testament to the transformative impact of embodied intelligence on healthcare. Their presence elevated the event, reflecting its significance for the healthcare and technology sectors.

Opening Keynotes: Collaboration as the Key to Meaningful Innovation

The forum’s opening day featured a distinguished lineup of guests, including Mr. Albert Wong, CEO of the HKSTP Corporation; Dr. Kin-lai Chung, Cluster Chief Executive of New Territories East and Hospital Chief Executive of Prince of Wales Hospital; Dr. Yinxing Hao, Executive President of HKISI, CAS; Professor Kam-fai Wong, Member of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR); Dr. Hailong Shang, Member of the Legislative Council of the HKSAR and Founder of the HKTTSA ; and Mr. Chang-lin Gao, General Manager of the Beijing-Hong Kong Exchange of Personnel Centre.

On the first day, more than 10 global experts and industry leaders engaged in in-depth discussions on the intersection of AI and healthcare. In his welcome speech, Professor Hongbin Liu, Director of CAIR, emphasized the importance of collaboration: ” The application of AI technology has permeated various aspects of healthcare, but meaningful breakthroughs require close collaboration among clinical practitioners, academic researchers, and industry professionals. Only through such a tripartite partnership can truly impactful innovation be achieved .”

Mr. Albert Wong highlighted Hong Kong’s strategic role in advancing healthcare innovation: “Artificial intelligence and robotics are profoundly reshaping healthcare. Leveraging its position as the core of the Greater Bay Area and the research strengths of its five globally top-ranked universities, Hong Kong has become a critical hub connecting Mainland China and the global market. Hong Kong Science Park will continue to foster cross-disciplinary collaboration to propel life and health technologies onto the global stage.”

Dr. Kin-lai Chung discussed AI’s transformative impact on healthcare: “From disease diagnosis and precision treatment to surgical assistance and rehabilitation support, AI and robotics are revolutionizing healthcare. Technological innovation is key to addressing rising healthcare demands, improving diagnostic accuracy, enhancing patient experiences, and alleviating the workload of healthcare professionals.”

Dr. Yinxing Hao underscored Hong Kong’s unique advantages: “With its blend of Eastern and Western cultures and global networks, Hong Kong is an ideal hub for attracting top-tier talent and driving technological breakthroughs. Strong government support for innovation and collaboration among universities, enterprises, and international institutions has laid a clear path for future development.”

Launch of “CARES Copilot 2.0”, A New Era in Smart Healthcare

During the forum, CAIR unveiled CARES Copilot 2.0, an intelligent healthcare solution developed to address clinical needs through cutting-edge technologies. This milestone marks a new era of smart healthcare, introducing four core upgrades that enhance the quality and efficiency of medical services:

MedSearch: Integrating natural language processing (NLP) and recommendation systems, this tool provides efficient medical search and content generation capabilities. It allows healthcare professionals to quickly retrieve and generate structured medical reports, improving clinical decision-making and ensuring access to the latest medical knowledge.MedKnow: Using knowledge graphs, this feature delivers intelligent medication recommendations, enabling multi-level queries about drug interactions, indications, and contraindications. With photo upload capabilities, it parses medication packaging or inserts via AI, generating accurate recommendations to enhance drug safety.Automated Surgical Report Generation System: Focused on respiratory system diagnostics, this system generates professional surgical reports quickly, integrating seamlessly into hospital information systems. It optimizes workflows and reduces the workload of healthcare professionals.Embodied Applications: Leveraging large language model technology, this feature combines digital human localization, robotic motion control, and 3D reconstruction to enable fully automated ultrasound examinations. It enhances accuracy and consistency, setting a new benchmark for intelligent healthcare.

Professor Hongbin Liu remarked: “CARES Copilot 2.0 is not just a technological innovation but a significant evolution for the healthcare industry. It empowers clinicians to achieve more efficient and accurate diagnoses while providing an enhanced medical experience for patients.”

Expert Insights: AI’s Transformative Role in Healthcare

The symposium brought together several world-renowned experts to discuss the deep integration of artificial intelligence with healthcare, sharing the latest research findings and practical experiences. Topics spanned technological innovation, clinical applications, and future development directions.

Professor Sebastien Ourselin, Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and a professor at King’s College London, emphasized in his keynote speech that the success of innovative technologies depends not only on their advancement but also on their ability to integrate seamlessly into patient care pathways and achieve commercialization. He stressed that technology should serve healthcare needs rather than simply pursue breakthroughs for their own sake, and that solving clinical challenges is key to maximizing value.

Dr. Tat-Ming Danny Chan, Head of Division of Neurosurgery at the Department of Surgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), illustrated the deep integration of artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and robotics in advancing embodied intelligence in surgical applications. Using neurosurgery as an example, he highlighted that the future of medicine lies not only in treating diseases but also in leveraging cutting-edge technologies to decode the mechanisms of the brain and body, breaking down barriers between humans and technology.

Professor Nassir Navab, a member of Academia Europaea and a Professor at Technical University of Munich, analyzed the challenges of surgical automation. He noted that, compared to autonomous driving, surgical automation requires a deeper understanding of anatomy and physiology and the ability to emulate the decision-making and thought processes of surgeons. He believes that future surgical robots will need to integrate multimodal data to enable truly intelligent surgical support.

Professor Jiebo Luo, Fellow of Academia Europaea and the US National Academy of Inventors and a professor at the University of Rochester, focused on the application of AI in medical imaging. He highlighted that deep learning has overcome the limitations of traditional manual feature design through automated feature extraction, driving medical imaging computation toward multimodal data integration and providing more precise decision-making support for clinical diagnosis.

Professor Feng Liu from the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Queensland discussed the design of MRI systems, introducing mathematical and physical model-based design methods. He explored how theoretical platforms and engineering optimizations, combined with patient modeling and validation, are advancing MRI technology.

Other experts included Prof. Renzhi Wang, Consultant and Full Professor, School of Medicine Neuroimaging Center, Chinese University of Hongkong (Shenzhen) & Chief Physician and Professor of the Department of Neurosurgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital; Prof. Xiaorong Ronald Xu, Professor and Doctoral Advisor at the Department of Precision Instrumentation and College of Biomedical Engineering at Suzhou Institute for Advanced Research, University of Science and Technology of China; Prof. Hongliang Ren, Professor at the Department of Electronic Engineering at CUHK; Prof. Ka-Wai Kwok from the Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering,  CUHK; Prof. Hao Chen, Assistant Professor of the Department of Computer Science & Engineering and Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; and Prof. Qingpeng Zhang, Associate Professor at the Musketeers Foundation Institute of Data Science and the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy at The University of Hong Kong. They presented breakthroughs spanning basic research to clinical applications, covering areas such as medical imaging, surgical assistance, and drug development. Together, these insights demonstrated how AI is enabling comprehensive upgrades across the healthcare industry.

The CREATE Symposium seeks to promote interdisciplinary collaboration by harnessing the potential of intelligent technology to drive innovative breakthroughs in healthcare and enhance smart healthcare solutions. As we look ahead, artificial intelligence and robotics will play a crucial role in transforming medical models, providing fresh perspectives and solutions for the global healthcare landscape.

About CAIR

Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences is the first national-level R&D institution in Hong Kong approved by the central government. It is also directly affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR) is one of the two innovation centers under its umbrella. CAIR focuses on research in areas such as multimodal AI surgical models, embodied AI medical robots, and the fundamental theories of AI. The goal is to build Hong Kong into an artificial intelligence hub with national support, attract international high-end talents, and establish an international innovation hub for the applications of artificial intelligence and robotics in medical technology and life sciences.

For more information, please visit CAIR’s WeChat public account or the Center’s official website: https://www.cair-cas.org.hk

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SOURCE Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR), Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences