Alibaba Recruits World-Class AI Scientist Steven Hoi

Renowned AI Expert Joins Alibaba to Lead Multi-Modal Foundation Model and AI Agents Development Alibaba has officially welcomed Dr. Steven Hoi (许主洪), a globally recognized AI scientist, as Vice President of Alibaba Group. Dr. Hoi will spearhead the AI To C (AI to Consumer) division, focusing on the development of multi-modal foundation models and AI agents for large-scale applications.

February 7, 2025

Alibaba has officially welcomed Dr. Steven Hoi , a globally recognized AI scientist, as Vice President of Alibaba Group. Dr. Hoi will spearhead the AI To C (AI to Consumer) division, focusing on the development of multi-modal foundation models and AI agents for large-scale applications.

Dr. Steven Hoi’s Academic and Industry Background

Dr. Steven Hoi is a distinguished AI researcher with over 20 years of experience in both academia and industry. His expertise spans machine learning, multi-modal AI, and deep learning, making him a valuable addition to Alibaba’s AI innovation strategy.

Educational Background

Graduated from Tsinghua University in 2002 with a Bachelor's degree.

Earned Master’s (2004) and Ph.D. (2006) in Computer Science and Engineering from The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).

Previously held professorships at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Singapore Management University (SMU).

Academic Achievements

Published over 300 AI research papers, cited more than 50,000 times.

Recognized as one of the world's top 1% AI scientists by Stanford University.

His research on multi-modal pretraining has been widely cited, with multiple papers ranking among the top five most-cited AI publications globally in recent years.

In 2019, he was elected IEEE Fellow, a prestigious title awarded for outstanding contributions in electrical and electronic engineering.

Alibaba's Strategic AI Expansion

Dr. Hoi’s recruitment underscores Alibaba’s commitment to strengthening its AI capabilities. As global tech giants race to advance generative AI, large language models (LLMs), and AI-driven applications, Alibaba is ramping up its AI research and development efforts.

With Dr. Hoi leading AI To C initiatives, Alibaba aims to:

Advance multi-modal foundation models that integrate text, image, video, and speech processing.

Develop AI agents for intelligent automation in e-commerce, entertainment, and customer engagement.

Enhance AI-driven consumer applications, making AI interactions more human-like and efficient.

Alibaba’s Growing AI Research and Talent Acquisition

Dr. Steven Hoi's addition follows Alibaba’s broader strategy of recruiting top AI talents and expanding its AI research footprint. The company has been actively investing in:

Generative AI models, including its Tongyi Qianwen large language model.

AI-powered cloud computing services through Alibaba Cloud.

AI applications in retail, finance, and entertainment to enhance consumer experiences.

With a globally renowned AI scientist now in a leadership role, Alibaba is set to accelerate its AI innovation and global competitiveness in the AI-driven digital economy.

Conclusion

Dr. Steven Hoi's appointment as Alibaba’s Vice President marks a major milestone in the company's AI development strategy. His deep expertise in multi-modal AI and machine learning will be instrumental in shaping Alibaba’s next-generation AI models and applications. As Alibaba continues to invest in cutting-edge AI research, Dr. Hoi’s leadership will play a crucial role in positioning the company at the forefront of AI-driven consumer experiences.

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