Alibaba Founder Jack Ma Resurfaces At School In Hangzhou After 3-Year Absence
The tech billionaire discusses artificial intelligence and education during his visit
Alibaba founder Jack Ma has made a rare public appearance at a school in Hangzhou, according to reports. After publicly criticizing China’s financial regulators in 2020, the tech billionaire, who is 58 years old, has maintained a low profile in recent years.
A Low Profile After Criticising China’s Financial Regulators
Mr Ma disappeared from public view amid a crackdown on tech entrepreneurs and was believed by some to have been placed under house arrest or otherwise detained. However, he recently returned to China after spending more than a year overseas and has been spotted in various countries since disappearing from public view.
Ma Visited Yungu School in Hangzhou
During his visit to the Yungu School in Hangzhou, Mr Ma discussed the potential challenges of artificial intelligence to education and called for its responsible use. He also met with staff and toured classrooms at the school, which is located in the city where Alibaba is headquartered.
Discussing The Potential Challenges Of AI in Education
According to him, “The AI era is just in its infancy, with ChatGPT and similar technologies. Instead of being controlled by it, we should utilize artificial intelligence to solve problems.”
Ma has Been Travelling Overseas to Learn About Agricultural Technology
The South China Morning Post reported that Mr. Ma has been visiting several nations to study about agricultural technologies, but it didn’t mention the reason he had vanished from the public eye in recent years. The same newspaper also mentioned that he briefly stopped over in Hong Kong, where he met with friends and visited Art Basel, an international art fair, for a short period.
Former Richest Man in China Gave Up Control of Ant Group
In January this year, Mr Ma, who was once the wealthiest man in China, relinquished control of Ant Group, the financial technology giant. Some commentators saw this move as additional proof that he had irked the Chinese Communist Party by being too vocal and dominant.
Cancellation of Ant’s Planned £26bn Stock Market Flotation
During a financial conference in October 2020, Mr Ma stated that traditional banks had a “pawn-shop mentality.” In the following month, Chinese authorities abruptly canceled Ant’s proposed £26bn stock market flotation, which would have been the world’s largest. The reason cited for the cancellation was “major issues” regarding the regulation of the firm.
Reports of Ma’s Sightings in Various Countries
He has since been spotted in a number of nations, including Spain, the Netherlands, Thailand, and Australia. Mr. Ma had been living in Tokyo, Japan, for six months, according to a Financial Times newspaper piece from November of last year.
In conclusion, the visit of Jack Ma to the Yungu School in Hangzhou, where he discussed the potential challenges of artificial intelligence in education, is a rare public appearance for the tech billionaire who has kept a low profile in recent years.
