AI, represented by DeepSeek, is driving technological revolution and industrial transformation at an unprecedented pace, profoundly influencing human decision-making models and presenting new challenges. With this backdrop, the International Symposium on Human Decision-Making and Artificial Intelligence: Choices and Governance was successfully held at South China University of Technology (SCUT)’s Wushan Campus from March 28 to 29, 2025, co-organized by SCUT’s School of Public Administration, the Institute of Public Policy (IPP), and the Office of Social Science Research.
The symposium brought together over a dozen AI and social governance experts from leading Francophone universities and distinguished scholars from top Chinese institutions to engage in in-depth discussions on AI’s far-reaching impacts on social governance, decision-making paradigms, and ethical frameworks.
The opening ceremony featured speeches by:
Mai Junhong, Deputy Party Secretary of SCUT (host representative);
Jean Ruffier, Honorary Professor at Université Lyon 3, Research Director at France’s National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), and Chair of the Sociology of Management Division at the International Association of French-Speaking Sociologists (guest representative);
Shen Wenhao, Director of the Basic Research Department of Guangzhou Municipal Science and Technology Bureau (supporting organization representative).
During the afternoon session, participants engaged in five parallel forums focusing on:
AI and the Sociology of Management
AI and Government Governance
AI and Social Equity
AI and Governance Modernization
AI and Technological Innovation
These forums facilitated multidimensional discussions on AI governance theories and practices, with over 50 researchers from leading Chinese universities contributing through conference papers.
A highlight was the specially convened session by the International Association of French-Speaking Sociologists, where a dozen Francophone scholars explored the intersection of management sociology and AI through in-depth dialogues with attendees.
