HKU, LIGHTSPEED STUDIOS, and Tencent WeTech Academy Conclude Third Year of “AI Adventures: When AI Meets Games with Tencent” Introducing AI Tools with Traditional Chinese Cultural Aesthetics to an Expanded International Cohort

The HKU Academy for the Talented (the HKU Academy), a global talent platform for secondary school students worldwide managed by the Admissions Office of The University of Hong Kong (HKU), LIGHTSPEED STUDIOS, and Tencent WeTech Academy, have successfully concluded the third edition of “AI Adventures: When AI Meets Games with Tencent”. The programme brought together secondary students in Secondary 4 to 6 (Years 11 to 13 / Grades 10 to 12) for five days of immersive learning at the intersection of artificial intelligence and game development. The response from participants was overwhelmingly positive. 

Three years into the collaboration, “AI Adventures: When AI Meets Games with Tencent” continues to deepen its approach to AI education through the lens of game design. Rather than treating technology as an abstract subject, the programme places students in direct contact with the tools and methods used by working game developers. HKU’s Faculty of Arts contribute an academic perspective on how AI is reshaping game narratives and spatial design, while LIGHTSPEED STUDIOS engineers bring industry knowledge of how these tools function in real production environments. Together, they offer students a layered understanding of AI that goes well beyond what any single classroom setting could provide. 

This year’s edition saw a more internationally diverse cohort join the programme, with students from different regions bringing a wider range of perspectives into the classroom. Building on previous years, the programme’s AI tools also incorporated a broader set of traditional Chinese cultural elements — enriching the creative palette available to students and opening new conversations about how frontier AI can engage with cultural expression. The curriculum spans AI image generation, 3D modeling, animation, intelligent agent design, and data mining, with hands-on practice at the centre of every session. 

Professor Bennett Yim, Chairman of the HKU Academy, and Director of Undergraduate Admissions and International Student Exchange at HKU, expressed, “Over the past three years, this programme has grown into a genuinely international learning platform. This year, we are proud to welcome an even more diverse cohort of students from around the world — a reflection of Hong Kong's unique strengths as a global education hub. HKU will continue to respond to the Hong Kong SAR Government’s call to advance AI education, developing programmes that equip young people with the knowledge and skills to lead in an AI-driven future.” 

Lu Yao, General Manager of the Tech Department at LIGHTSPEED STUDIOS, stated, “Entering our third year of collaboration, we have continued to deepen both the curriculum design and the AI tools available to students. This year, we further expanded the traditional Chinese cultural elements embedded in the AI content creation platform, giving students a new dimension to explore alongside core AIGC technologies. Seeing students from different parts of the world generate something genuinely creative together — that is exactly what this programme is here to do. LIGHTSPEED STUDIOS will continue to channel our frontline R&D experience into education, advancing AI literacy among young people and contributing to the industry's progress.” 

Dr James Li Tsz-shu, JP, Vice President of Public Affairs at Tencent, said, “Technology is an ability; doing good with it is a choice. We aspire to continue leveraging Tencent's technological and resource advantages to enable more young people to understand, master, and make good use of AI at an early stage, thereby supporting Hong Kong in advancing AI literacy across the community. More importantly, we hope that after acquiring these skills, they will be willing to use this capability to serve society and benefit every individual—transforming from 'learners' of technology into ‘creators’ of social value, and truly realizing the vision of ‘youth using technology for good.’” 

About HKU Academy for the Talented
Established by HKU in 2011 to inspire secondary school students to explore their aspirations, the HKU Academy for the Talented brings together elite students nominated by their schools from around the world. Members join a vibrant community, accessing specialised academic programmes from HKU’s various faculties to further develop their talents and interests. Each year, HKU Academy for the Talented recruits these exceptional students to participate in exclusive programmes and experiential activities covering medicine, law, engineering, social sciences, dentistry, natural sciences, mathematics, and the humanities. 

The mission of HKU Academy for the Talented is to cultivate future community leaders. HKU’s programme design exposes students to a broad range of fields they are passionate about, providing them with global opportunities so they can fully understand the challenges and opportunities ahead, and use the skills and knowledge they acquire to make a positive impact on society. 

For more information about HKU Academy for the Talented, please visit http://talented.hku.hk. 

About LIGHTSPEED STUDIOS
LIGHTSPEED STUDIOS is a world-leading game developer with teams across China, the United States, Singapore, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, and the UAE. LIGHTSPEED STUDIOS has developed more than 50 games across multiple platforms and genres, with over 4 billion registered players worldwide. LIGHTSPEED STUDIOS is the co-developer of globally popular game PUBG MOBILE (co-developed with KRAFTON, Inc.) and continues to create original IP and high-quality game experiences for players around the world.LIGHTSPEED STUDIOS is made up of passionate gamers committed to advancing game development — in both art and technology — through compelling stories, outstanding gameplay, and leading-edge technology, delivering next-generation gaming experiences to players anytime, anywhere, across multiple genres and platforms. 

For more information, visit http://www.lightspeed-studios.com/.

About Tencent WeTech Academy
Tencent WeTech Academy is a pioneering talent development platform launched by Tencent. Powered by Tencent's frontier technologies and resources, it cultivates innovative and socially responsible talent through a progressive learning pathway that integrates education, research, and competition, promoting the holistic advancement of technology and innovation education, and supporting Hong Kong in building an international innovation and technology hub.