HKU and Global Cybersecurity Alliance jointly establish the AI and Cybersecurity Research Institute

The Centre will integrate top-tier research capabilities and professional resources from both organisations to advance cutting-edge research, foster deep integration between research outcomes and real-world security scenarios, and explore novel technologies, methodologies, and governance frameworks in artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity.

Professor Ho Chen, Chair of Cybersecurity at HKU School of Computing and Data Science, will serve as Acting Director of the Centre. The Centre will bring together researchers from HKU, GCSA, and international partner institutions, while engaging experts in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and technology governance for research and advisory roles to promote cross-disciplinary and inter-institutional collaboration.

The Centre is committed to bridging academic research and industry practice, with plans to progressively release research findings, security benchmarks, and open-source tools in AI and cybersecurity. The Centre’s key research directions include:

• Model Inherent Security and Trustworthy AI: Enhancing the security, interpretability, and robustness of large language models and generative AI.
• AI-Driven Automated Threat Defence: Utilising AI to improve perception and automated defence capabilities against complex cyberattacks.
• Security Assessment of Frontier Technologies: Evaluating potential security risks associated with next-generation technologies, such as embodied AI, robotics, and the Internet of Things (IoT).
• Global AI Security Standards and Governance: Researching AI security assessment standards and governance mechanisms to facilitate international dialogue and collaboration.

Professor Ho Chen stated: "The rapid evolution of AI introduces unprecedented security risks and governance challenges. The Centre will serve as a bridge connecting academic research, security testing, and industry application to accelerate the translation and deployment of AI security research through cross-disciplinary and international cooperation."