"EDGE Global AI & Web3 Investment Summit" grandly opens: Technology · Fashion · Investment | The world gathers in Hong Kong

On September 26, at the AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong, the first day agenda of the world's largest AI & Web3 investment summit "EDGE Summit" grandly debuted.

The EDGE Summit is hosted by Vertex Labs (UK), AGI Society (USA), and Luna PR (Dubai),
co-organized by HKBA (Hong Kong Blockchain Association), SVIEF (Silicon Valley Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum), CBAIA (China-Britain Artificial Intelligence Association), Blockbeats, TokenInsight, Techub News, and Oobit. This global team has attracted pioneering projects from various regions, gathering in Hong Kong. The summit has received strong support from multiple Hong Kong government agencies, with over 200 scholars, dignitaries, investors, entrepreneurs, and artists from various countries attending the event.

Former Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Technology, Mr. Zhong Weiqiang, delivered a speech at the opening ceremony on "Hong Kong's Investment and Cross-Border Data Policy Sharing."

He mentioned: "Hong Kong is renowned for its strong investment industry and strategic geographical location, which gives us a solid foothold in the field of investment innovation in this digital age. Innovation and technology are key policy focuses of the Hong Kong government, and we have achieved encouraging results. For example, in 2023, Hong Kong ranked 19th in the global smart city index, improving by 38 places from the last ranking. In terms of investment innovation, Hong Kong has been committed to innovation in areas such as investment technology, digital banking, virtual assets, and cross-border investment services. We aim to develop the digital economy and lead in the development of Web3 and artificial intelligence."

At the same time, the "Hong Kong-Shenzhen International Computing Power Center" was unveiled at the summit. The computing power center will integrate Hong Kong's investment advantages, Shenzhen's manufacturing strength, and international information and creativity, marking a new chapter in international supercomputing collaboration, and is expected to bring more innovation and cooperation opportunities to the global tech community.

Ander Tsui, Chairman of the EDGE Summit, Co-Chairman of the Hong Kong Blockchain Association, and Founder of Vertex Labs, stated at the opening ceremony that Web3 is about production relationships, while AI is about productivity. There is a fundamental conflict between AI and Web3 at the underlying logic level; the vast resources required by AI large models make AI highly centralized from training to operation, whereas the prospects of Web3, built on blockchain, prioritize decentralization and transparency. This makes the integration of AI and Web3 at the foundational level very challenging, but it is precisely this contradictory logic that allows AI and Web3 to complement each other, not seeking to become each other's narrative core, but to become solutions to each other's pain points, driving their respective developments. The two technologies will also bring many new narratives, leaving vast imaginative space.

The economic model design of Web3 can enhance the capital utilization rate of many AI projects, promoting project acquisition and activation, while the benefits of blockchain itself, such as reducing infrastructure costs, verifying identities, injecting democracy and transparency into the data black box of artificial intelligence, and providing data contribution incentives, can offer new ideas for product design for AI project teams. At the infrastructure level, the decentralized mechanism of Web3 can address the current risks and issues faced by AI, such as privacy protection and data misuse. At the application level, AI can help the development and popularization of Web3 applications.

Ander himself has been in the blockchain space for 10 years, experiencing three bull and bear markets, and understands that technological development is always accompanied by innovation and risk. Regarding regulation, he suggests that rules can be formulated more proactively and that we should face innovation courageously.

During the summit, the latest generation humanoid robot, Desi, which has garnered attention in the AI field, made her debut on stage. She traveled from Europe across the ocean to Asia, a place she had never reached before, to discuss the potential of artificial intelligence and the boundaries of human interaction with us. Innovative Web3 and AI projects from around the world will also showcase their talents at the EDGE Summit DEMO DAY on September 27.

The summit included three sub-forums. The Web3 sub-forum aimed to explore the next generation of Web3 landscapes, with topics including how the crypto market generates Alpha, account abstraction, and new directions in the industry and technology.

The AI sub-forum discussed the native profit models of generative AI, the pan-entertainment applications of AIGC, and autonomous agents and applications based on large language models.

The Hong Kong Web3 Security and Compliance sub-forum discussed how artificial intelligence and technology are changing compliance in the Web3 era, project security compliance and anti-money laundering, and the paradox of regulation and decentralization.

At the end of the main venue, Vertex Labs signed a strategic cooperation agreement with META48 HOLDINGS, TAI Group, and WHATSART.

As a leader in the fields of metaverse, Web3, and artificial intelligence infrastructure, Vertex Labs envisions a future where AI and Web3 seamlessly integrate. In this future, the fashion, art, and entertainment of our current physical and Web2 worlds will combine with the concept of the metaverse; trendsetters, entrepreneurs, and investors will empower each other, and disruptive innovation can emerge from cutting-edge discussions, bold cross-border collaborations, and interesting experiments.

The choice of Hong Kong as the venue for this summit shines a light on Asia as a gateway to the world, which is a deeply meaningful gesture.

Hong Kong is a world-class stage for Web3 and artificial intelligence conferences and other large events. It not only attracts entrepreneurs, investors, and ambitious individuals from around the globe but also serves as an important gateway to the thriving Greater Bay Area.

China has maintained a stable position at the forefront of Web3 development, with a large number of outstanding Web3 funds and entrepreneurs. Meanwhile, Hong Kong enjoys political stability and a highly supportive legal framework. With strong support from the Hong Kong government, the EDGE Summit will serve as a platform for exchanging and disseminating cutting-edge insights globally, linking the world and promoting Hong Kong's potential as a hub for cutting-edge technologies such as Web3 and artificial intelligence.

Technology, fashion, investment—this has always been Hong Kong's calling card to the world. In today's new technological revolution that shakes human cognition, Hong Kong will continue to lead globally.

Global, trendy, and interesting, EDGE attempts to support the stage with technology and capital, where art, AI, and Web3 beautifully merge, seamlessly linking investment, technology, and fashion, creating an unparalleled immersive participation experience.

Welcome to the future.