On October 16, 2026, during the “International Dialogue” segment of the Global Wealth Management Forum·2026 Shanghai Suhewan Conference, Tim Cook, Executive Chairman of Apple Inc., and Bai Chongen, Dean of the School of Economics and Management at Tsinghua University and Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Global Wealth Management Forum, engaged in a dialogue.
Cook said that he has had a connection with China for over 30 years, and his first visit to China was in 1997. He really likes the Chinese people and is also attracted by Chinese culture. He added that every time he comes to China, he learns something new.
During this trip to China, what struck Cook deeply was that China is full of vitality, and almost everyone is actively embracing AI.
In my view, the people here have reached a historic high point of optimism regarding the future. Kook said this, and he was deeply moved by such optimism.
He added that in the face of new technological developments, people will have various concerns. However, in China, people tend to focus on the positive aspects brought by technological progress.
Meanwhile, Cook also discussed the challenges that lie behind the rapid development of AI. He stated that on the ladder of career advancement, lower levels are disappearing and becoming fewer, and people must learn to climb upwards to higher levels.
He also mentioned that AI may further widen the gap between students. For those students who lack initiative in learning, they can easily obtain answers through AI, which can lead to a loss of motivation to learn. “How to guide students to use AI more effectively in their learning, rather than using AI to find answers and ignoring the entire learning process, is a huge challenge for us. We are also seriously considering teaching methods that fit the needs of the new era.”
Today, the AI era is redefining the value of learning and thinking. Cook believes that as it becomes easier to obtain answers, the ability to ask questions becomes more important than the ability to obtain answers.
