Lingnan University announces free access to DeepSeek-R1 for all staff and students President S. Joe Qin: Instructing students in ethical AI values

Lingnan University announced that, starting from yesterday, February 20, it is providing free access to the DeepSeek-R1 model for all Lingnanians. Faculty, staff, and students can choose between GPT-3.5, GPT-4o, GPT-4 Turbo, and DeepSeek-R1 through the University’s ChatGPT portal, thus strengthening teaching, learning, research, and efficiency.

The University’s Chief Information Officer highlighted that DeepSeek-R1, as a reasoning model, stands out by displaying its thinking process, allowing users to adjust prompts more easily and accurately for better responses than other AI models that do not reveal their thought process. DeepSeek excels in technical, mathematical, and coding tasks, providing precise, step-by-step solutions ideal for research and coursework.

Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science of Lingnan University and a Fellow of the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering (HKAE), delivered a lecture in the TechTalk Series organised by the University of Hong Kong and the HKAE on 18 February. Titled “Breakthroughs from ChatGPT to DeepSeek and Higher Education Revolution”, he discussed the rapid development of AI and its widespread impact.

Prof Qin highlighted the impressive progress in both academic and industrial research of large language models (LLMs), with one prominent achievement being the launch of the Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT). DeepSeek, the AI startup from mainland China, has successfully integrated multiple technologies to further improve AI efficiency. This game-changing breakthrough has captured worldwide attention, especially due to its low-cost and open-source model. This has not only shattered the Western monopoly on AI, but also made a dramatic impact globally on innovative technologies and artificial intelligence.

Prof Qin said “With DeepSeek’s emergence, attention is shifting towards resource optimisation and reducing AI development costs. Its significance lies in achieving the widespread use of AI through open access, thereby successfully breaking the AI market monopoly.” He emphasised that the world has now entered the post-AI era, where coexistence and collaboration with AI are inevitable. AI is evolving into a tool as user-friendly as Excel spreadsheets. Additionally, the growing use of various AI technologies, including chatbots and content generation, is enriching learning experiences, saving time in content creation, and igniting creativity.

Prof Qin emphasised the importance of nurturing students’ critical thinking and sound judgment in this era of rapid technological advancement. At Lingnan University, we have offered free access to ChatGPT for all students, faculty, and staff since August 2023. Subsequently, it has been upgraded to GPT-4o and GPT-4 Turbo. The University has also integrated generative AI into various courses, equipping students with the AI skills to thrive in future workplaces while teaching them to use AI responsibly and avoid being replaced by it.

“Currently, AI still has limitations, especially in terms of creativity,” Prof Qin remarked. “We should view it as a supplementary tool. Banning students from using AI would only hinder their ability to learn how to use it appropriately. Instead, educators should guide students towards correct values, and enable them to distinguish right from wrong.”

The lecture sparked animated discussions during the Q&A session. One member of the audience enquired about the potential dark side of AI, and whether over-reliance might result in the decline of human intelligence. Prof Qin responded that by using new technologies positively, we can reduce their negative impact and gradually build up an “immune system” to survive in the digital era.

Another question raised was whether humans will be superseded by AI in the near future. Prof Qin explained that while some repetitive jobs may be supplanted, specialised professions will still require experts. For example, 50 years ago, only experts could operate professional cameras, but although nowadays anyone can take photos with a smartphone, professional photographers remain irreplaceable. Furthermore, AI-powered weather prediction models, which leverage AI’s capabilities to collect and integrate data, are increasingly being used. This new technology provides accurate forecasts while helping the world prepare for and better respond to environmental and climate change. These serve as perfect examples of how human and AI can coexist and collaborate.