HKU and Global Cyber Security Alliance Launch AI Security Research Institute

On October 26, the University of Hong Kong (HKU) and the Global Cyber Security Alliance (GCSA) announced the joint establishment of the Centre for AI and Cybersecurity Research. Chen Hao, professor of cybersecurity at HKU's Faculty of Computing and Data Science, will serve as acting director. Chen has long worked on AI security and software security research and previously led Tencent's security lab.

The institute will integrate research and professional resources from both organizations in AI and cybersecurity, bringing together researchers from HKU, GCSA, and international partner institutions. As an international organization focused on emerging threats in AI and Web3, GCSA will provide industrial scenarios and international network support.

The institute has defined four research directions: model-native security and trustworthy AI, focusing on improving the safety, explainability, and robustness of large models and generative AI; AI-driven automated threat defense, applying AI to enhance detection and automated defense against complex cyberattacks; security assessment of frontier technologies, evaluating potential risks of embodied intelligence, robotics, and the Internet of Things; and global AI safety standards and governance, studying AI safety evaluation standards and governance mechanisms to promote international exchange.

Chen said the rapid development of AI brings new security risks and governance challenges. The institute will connect academic research, security testing, and industrial practice to facilitate the translation and application of AI security research outcomes. It also plans to progressively release research findings, safety benchmarks, and open-source tools.