Mr. Stanley Au, Chairman of Delta Asia Financial Group and President of Macao SME Association, was recently invited to South Korea to attend the flagship forum “The Soul of Innovation: Human-Centered Thinking in an AI World,” co-hosted by the International Council for Small Business (ICSB) and Soongsil University in Seoul and Jinju. The event brought together global leaders, scholars, and entrepreneurs, aiming to provide forward-looking strategies for the digital transformation of SMEs in the AI era.
The forum consisted of two parts. The first segment took place in Seoul on 24 – 25 October, focusing on the theme: “How AI Enhances Human Values Rather than Replaces Humans.” Rooted in the humanistic philosophy of Korea’s King Sejong — emphasizing knowledge dissemination, evidence-based governance, and human dignity — the forum resonated deeply with contemporary AI ethics.
In his keynote remarks, Mr. Au highlighted how Macau’s SMEs could draw valuable lessons from South Korea’s experience. He proposed several applications of “Human-Centered AI” across industries such as tourism, retail, and manufacturing. These include deploying multilingual AI customer service to handle routine inquiries while preserving personalized human interaction, utilizing AI-driven data analytics to optimize inventory while maintaining the uniqueness of handcrafted products, and actively connecting with the ICSB Global Knowledge Hub. He also encouraged local enterprises to leverage regional collaboration opportunities, such as the “AI + Tax” system in Hengqin, and government initiatives like Macau’s SME Digital Transformation Support Scheme, to enhance technological capabilities and market competitiveness.
The second part of the forum was held in Jinju from 26 – 28 October, a city known as the “Startup Capital of Korea” and birthplace of global conglomerates such as Samsung and LG. Jinju has now evolved into a key hub for human-centered innovation in Asia. Prominent global figures, including former President of the United Nations General Assembly Csaba Kőrösi, emphasized that human-centered entrepreneurship is the driving force behind meaningful global economic progress.
During the Jinju forum, Mr. Au delivered a significant speech titled “Confucian Values and Human-Centered Entrepreneurship in Asia.” He explored how core Confucian principles such as benevolence (仁), respect (敬), and righteousness (義) align closely with modern management science. Mr. Au argued that human-centered entrepreneurship is not only a competitive advantage for Asian enterprises but also offers valuable insights for Western businesses, fostering cross-cultural integration and sustainable development. His address was met with strong interest and resonance among attendees.
This fruitful trip underscored a key message: “Technology without humanity lacks long-term value.” The successful practices of South Korea’s SMEs provide important references for Macau during its ongoing efforts to diversify its economy. Through this international engagement, Mr. Au gained first-hand insight into global entrepreneurial trends and engaged in meaningful exchanges with leaders, scholars, and entrepreneurs worldwide—opening up valuable avenues for Macau SMEs to connect with global resources and adopt international best practices.