The University of Macau (UM) and Datastory inaugurated their Joint Laboratory of Artificial General Intelligence today (3 November). The joint laboratory will focus on exploring cutting-edge technologies and business applications of artificial intelligence, as well as developing controllable multimodal AI technologies with global influence. It will also serve as a platform to demonstrate industry-academia collaboration between Hengqin and Macao, with the aim of promoting deep integration between Hengqin and Macao, and between cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), as well as advancing technological innovation in the region.

Xu Cheng-Zhong, dean of UM’s Faculty of Science and Technology, said that the university has made significant progress in AI and robotics research in recent years. The joint laboratory between UM and Datastory will facilitate the application of the university’s research results in industries. Both parties can take this opportunity to commercialise research results for the benefit of society.

Xu Yabo, founder and CEO of Datastory, expressed hope that through the cooperation, UM and Datastory will promote the development of the AI industry, further engage in the development of Hengqin and Macao, and contribute to the advanced technology industry in Macao and the GBA.

Founded in 2015, Datastory is a leading company in digital intelligence for social media marketing. It has dual headquarters; one in Guangzhou and one in Hengqin, with branch offices in core cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Fuzhou, and Chengdu. Leveraging its world-leading technology, Datastory has developed its own large-scale model, SocialGPT, and created its signature product, Social Mind Index (SMI Index), which is a social mind measurement system. The company has also launched a matrix of intelligent products and services fully supported by AI. Datastory’s business scope covers product innovation, brand marketing, content marketing, interest e-commerce, channel sales, customer operations, risk management, and other digital business scenarios involving intelligent social media marketing, assisting enterprises in making intelligent business decisions.

In the future, UM will join forces with more companies possessing research strengths and technological advantages to strengthen industry-academia collaboration between Hengqin and Macao.