WeChat Pay Co-Founder gives talk on inclusive finance in AI era

Front line from left: Dr Yap, Dato’ Low, Teddy Liu, Prof Dato’ Ewe, Dr Lee

UTAR proudly invited WeChat Pay Co-founder Teddy Liu to deliver a talk titled “Opportunities and The Future of Inclusive Finance” at Sungai Long Campus on 10 July 2023. The talk was organised by UTAR and Persatuan Pertukaran Persahabatan Pengajian Tinggi Malaysia-China (PPTMC). The talk attracted the attendance of more than 150 staff and students.

Also present at the talk were UTAR President Ir Prof Dato’ Dr Ewe Hong Tat, Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science (LKC FES) Dean Assoc Prof Ts Dr Yap Wun She and LKC FES academic Ts Dr Lee Chen Kang. President of PPTMC, Dato’ Low Kok Thai joined the talk as well.

Prof Dato’ Ewe

At the opening ceremony, Prof Dato’ Ewe and Dato’ Low delivered speeches. Prof Dato’ Ewe said, “We are honoured to have Teddy Liu here today to share his knowledge and insights. His expertise has the potential to illuminate the path forward, highlighting the opportunities at the intersection of inclusive finance and AI. I hope this lecture will provide new AI knowledge and insights to inspire and enlighten everyone in their careers and studies. Additionally, I hope this lecture will motivate the younger generation to contribute to the development of AI.”

Dato’ Low

Dato’ Low, in his speech, encouraged young people to pursue their dreams. He said, “As long as you have a dream and dare to step out, the opportunity will always be present. Remember to put more effort into developing better technology and serving society.” He also shared his life journey of pursuing AI to inspire the audience.

Teddy Liu

Teddy Liu is not only one of the co-founders of WeChat Pay, but he is also an entrepreneur and innovator with extensive experience in the fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and Inclusive Finance Combined with Commercial Transformation. He shared his professional journey and discussed the challenges and opportunities faced in implementing inclusive finance in the era of AI. With his rich experience and profound insights into financial technology (fintech), Teddy Liu provided advice and inspiration to the participants. He said, “With the powerful development of AI, one should wonder if there will be ‘digital people’ to replace the positions of junior staff one day, affecting the number of employees. Therefore, it is necessary to think deeply about any development of new technology research.”

During round table discussion

After the talk, a roundtable discussion was held with Teddy Liu, Prof Dato’ Ewe, Dato’ Low and Dr Yap. The roundtable discussion was moderated by Dr Lee.  They discussed the impacts of the AI era on various professional fields and student employment and provided guidance on the direction of future development for students.

The talk ended with a souvenir presentation session and a group photograph.

Prof Dato’ Ewe presenting souvenirs to Teddy Liu (left photo) and Dato’ Low (right photo)