We hope to attract the top talent in many fields. Alibaba is a vast platform, so anyone who joins can try things out anytime. In universities, it’s very hard to do research related to big data and AI due to limited access to data and computing power. Some countries we’ll be recruiting in are the U.S., Singapore, Russia, and Israel.

What’s the connection between DAMO Academy and Alibaba’s traditional goal of serving small and medium-size businesses?

We hope we don’t turn this academy into a separate research institution. Instead, we want to form a deeper connection with our core business.

Could you share some thoughts on the state of AI research?

I think the most important issue right now is how to develop a set of solid theories of deep learning. We have achieved something using deep learning on an engineering level, but science is about mastering the laws. Humans built aircrafts after understanding aerodynamics. So I think it’s important for us to really grasp the principles of neural networks, instead of just tweaking the parameters of a particular network to achieve a desired result. This will be one of the research areas of the DAMO Academy.

What’s Alibaba’s long-term plan for Tmall Genie, the smart speaker released in July?

We want to turn the voice-based AI technology that powers Tmall Genie into a standardized system and a module that can be embedded in other devices. For example, in September we announced a collaboration with a hotel in Sanya [a popular resort town in southern China] to turn its rooms into voice-enabled ones. Vacationers can draw the curtain and adjust the air conditioner using their voice. Tmall Genie can also make it possible for kids to talk to their toys, and help you talk to your oven so it roasts the chicken the way you want it.

How has your understanding of data evolved over your 13 years of working at Alibaba?

As a corporation that exists in the context of the Internet, our advantage is that we understand how to use data to transform our business. If we know how to use data smartly, our advertising revenue will grow, and our user experience will diversify.