Saturday, May 21, 2022
The Wharton Club of Hong Kong, along with Insead Alumni Association Hong Kong, is delighted to host a workshop on AI, Web3, NFTs and Metaverse on May 21st 2022 (Full Day from 9:15 AM to 5:00 PM including Lunch) by fellow Wharton and Insead alumni Kevin Pereira W'06, who also teaches undergraduate and MBA courses on AI and ML at HKUST and HKU business school.
The Wharton Workshop series aims at providing deep subject matter expertise to Alumni and is focused on serious learning, targeting a standard comparable to what one would expect at a Wharton class in Philadelphia.
Workshop Summary
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been heralded as the next big technological leap for humanity. Its practical applications span most aspects of business and our lives. In addition to AI, our transition to a Web3 based, digital-first society is being accelerated by cutting edge technologies such as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and Metaverse environments. These innovations are combining physical and virtual worlds where we can immerse ourselves in shared social, professional, and consumer experiences.
This workshop will critically examine the intersection of AI, NFTs, and metaverses through a business lens. How can different industries leverage these technologies to better serve people? How can companies build products and services for the future? How can investors identify high-potential businesses?
We will quickly recap some key branches of AI and then discuss important business applications. We will then focus on the practical implementation of AI, NFTs, and metaverses and some of the challenges that come with building in this new technology space. We will also examine business-focused case studies and potential new business models.
This workshop is geared towards business practitioners. We will NOT focus on coding/programming and no technology or coding knowledge is required. Rather, we examine these topics from the perspective of business practitioners and leaders.
Venue: 1501-02, Hong Kong Club Building, 3A Chater Road, Central, Hong Kong
Price: HKD 1,500 including a Yumcha Lunch @ Centricity
Guests: Guests of Wharton / Insead Alumni are welcome, but preference will be given to Alumni
Dress Code: Business Casual/Informal
VERY IMPORTANT Covid Protocols: All participants need to follow all applicable social distancing norms that the venue would impose as per the prevailing Social Distancing norms of the Govt of HK-SAR on the day of the event, including but not limited to: having received at least two doses of Covid-19 Vaccine, prior to the date of the event, using the Leave Home Safe App / QR code for proof of vaccination. Please note that proof of vaccination will be checked at the venue.
Agenda (Full Day 9:15 AM - 5:00 PM)
Registration & Housekeeping
9:15 AM - 9:30 AM
Session 1: Foundations – AI, NFTs, Metaverse
9:30 AM - 11:00 AM
- AI Review – Main branches of AI and business applications
- Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) – what are they and how do they work?
- Metaverse – imagining what is possible (and practical)
Break
11:00 AM - 11:15 AM
Session 2: Business Applications – The future of commerce in a Digital World – Part I
11:15 AM - 12:30 AM
- Business use cases & current applications of AI, NFTs, and metaverse
- Industry case studies: Finance, retail, gaming, and more
- Metaverse and NFT trailblazers – OpenSea, Decentraland, Roblox, and more
- How is industry (Meta, Microsoft etc.) pivoting to Web 3.0 and the metaverse?
Lunch
12:30 PM - 1:45 PM: Yumcha Lunch at Centricity, Chater House (5 minute walk from Workshop venue)
Session 3: Business Applications – The future of commerce in a Digital World – Part II
1:45 PM - 3:15 PM
- Drivers of value in a digital world
- Brand partnerships and ‘advertising’ in the metaverse
- Challenges to widespread consumer adoption
Break
3:15 PM - 3:30 PM
Session 4: The Future – New Business Models and Our Lives in the Metaverse
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
- Business model transformation – How will corporate strategy evolve?
- Marketing and customer engagement in the Metaverse
- Machine creativity – Generated content, virtual influencers, and business opportunities
- Virtual identities – Investing in your own avatar
- The shift from Web 2.0 to Web 3.0 - How might AI, NFTs, and metaverses become part of our daily lives?
Faculty Bio
Kevin Pereira W'06 is currently a Managing Director at Blu Artificial Intelligence, a consulting firm that specializes in Artificial Intelligence. After growing up in Hong Kong, he started his career in Private Banking with Citi in New York. He then moved back to Hong Kong and joined Bank of New York Mellon’s Asset Management business, where he helped to start a new group that specialized in products tailored to High Net Worth Individuals. After obtaining his MBA, Kevin worked at a technology startup in Myanmar that was building internet infrastructure which included fiber optic, cell towers and data centers. Kevin is also a Part-time lecturer at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), where he teaches an MBA course titled, “Artificial Intelligence for Business Leaders”. At the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), he teaches “Big Data in Finance” and “AI in Marketing” to MBAs and other Masters’ students.
Kevin graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Economics with concentrations in Finance, Management and Marketing from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He also has an MBA from INSEAD.
