AI start-up director: UM alumnus Samuel Zeng

After graduating from the University of Macau (UM) in 2012, Samuel Zeng, with expertise in natural language processing (NLP) and machine translation technologies, ventured into the e-commerce market. He quickly made his mark and was named one of the ‘35 Innovators Under 35 for China’ by MIT Technology Review in 2017. With a bold vision and an adventurous spirit, this UM alumnus left his position at Ant Group in 2023, undeterred by the unstable global economic climate, and founded AutoArk. This AI start-up has quickly gained significant attention and is dedicated to developing smart cities through innovative research. 

The AI team in a spacecraft

A large piece of meteorite hangs from the mirrored ceiling in an open-plan office styled in white with futuristic designs, creating the impression of stepping into a miniature spacecraft. This distinctive setting is the office of AutoArk in Zhuhai.

On the day of his interview with My UM, Samuel was meeting with several provincial bankers in this ‘spacecraft’ to discuss credit extension details for his new project ‘ArkModel’. At the end of the meeting, he quickly came to meet us. He cheerfully noted that he usually wears casual attire to work, but on that day, he was dressed in a suit due to an official event in the morning where he received the title of ‘Zhuhai Industrial Development Partner’.

Under Samuel’s leadership, the AutoArk team launched ArkModel in May this year, a virtual researcher system that utilises AI and big data to conduct research in the field of medicine. Capable of performing the roles of multiple chemists and biologists, the system has revolutionised the traditional approach to scientific research in the field.

Samuel explains, ‘In the past, it took at least a month for a principal researcher and their assistants to achieve phased results. Now, with this system, there are 15 to 18 virtual experts working around the clock to process data.’

He adds that this continuously operating virtual team utilises large AI models to simulate human behaviours and execute instructions. The successful development of this technology is inseparable from the research foundation he established during his studies at UM. Samuel also points out that the basis of these large AI models is NLP technology.

An extension of university research

Pioneers in science and technology often reap the benefits of their era. Founded just a year ago, AutoArk has already gained recognition from the Zhuhai Municipal Government. The start-up has secured millions of yuan in funding and has been selected as one of the first group of AI companies identified as driving ‘new quality productive forces’ to advance Zhuhai’s scientific and technological development. Samuel feels very fortunate that his company has received this recognition.

Indeed, Samuel can be considered one of the pioneers in the fields of NLP and large AI models. He says, ‘The AutoArk project is actually an extension of my university major.’

In 2009, Samuel started his master’s studies in e-commerce technology at UM and joined the university’s Natural Language Processing & Chinese-Portuguese Machine Translation Laboratory (NLP2CT) led by Prof Wong Fai. He recalls that at that time, the field of machine translation was not yet popular, noting, ‘Many large-scale international academic conferences on machine translation had only about 200 participants from China.’

Despite the limited attention the field received, joining the NLP2CT research team has proved beneficial to Samuel’s career in AI and technological innovation. He explains that the technology behind large AI models actually originates from machine translation. Both fields attempt to mimic human brain functions, with machine translation specifically focusing on converting one language into another, where the main challenge is language comprehension.

Samuel continues, ‘Similarly, AI models, which aim to understand human language and help solve a variety of problems, grapple with a vast array of parameters during their training. An artificial neural network, such as a transformer, is typically employed to manage these complexities. The training of these models requires substantial computing power, leading them to be termed “large models”. Essentially, the task of these models is simple and mirrors the function of machine translation.’

From a less popular discipline to a significant field

Even today, Samuel still feels grateful for the time spent conducting experiments and writing papers at the university. At UM, he met his mentor, Prof Wong, who was supportive without being pushy and always tailored learning resources to meet student needs. In addition, UM provided well-equipped laboratories, allowing Samuel and his peers to conduct in-depth research in NLP and machine translation.

For Samuel, the most unforgettable experience at UM was having the paper he co-authored with his fellow students accepted by the Annual Meeting of the Association for Computational Linguistics (ACL), a high-level academic conference in the field of computational linguistics and NLP. He excitedly recalls, ‘I was waiting for the results in the laboratory with other students. When I learned that our paper was accepted, I was so happy that I couldn’t sleep all night.’

With the rapid development of information technology, machine translation has evolved into a crucial field. Samuel points out that the foremost experts in the field of large AI models mostly have a background in NLP or machine translation. ‘Thanks to UM’s NLP2CT, I have a considerable advantage in NLP. I have also noticed that NLP technology is receiving more attention these days,’ he remarks.

Flexing capabilities in the e-commerce market

During his studies at UM, Samuel conceived an idea: to leverage AI to make a meaningful impact on people’s lives. Realising that technology giants could provide the extensive resources needed to achieve this goal and would allow him to fulfil his potential, Samuel moved to Hangzhou and joined Alibaba after graduation.

With his expertise in NLP and machine translation technologies, Samuel made impressive achievements in the e-commerce market. He participated in the development of Alibaba’s first- and second-generation machine translation systems, which allowed him to gain experience in overcoming language barriers for retail and e-commerce companies. Samuel was later headhunted by Ant Group, where he established China’s first unstaffed cafe ‘Tao Coffee’, and developed the innovative ‘pay as you go’ technology, revolutionising the shopping and payment experiences for customers. Later, he joined Ant Group’s research and development (R&D) team, where he played a pivotal role in the launch of Alipay and many other innovative applications.

The unmanned retail technology of Tao Coffee developed by Samuel gained international recognition. In 2017, he was named one of the ‘35 Innovators Under 35 for China’ by MIT Technology Review, a testament to his capabilities in scientific and technological innovation. Notable past innovators on the ‘Innovators Under 35’ list include Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, and Yahoo founder Jerry Yang.

‘Of course, I was scared!’

In 2023, as the COVID-19 pandemic was coming to an end and the global economy was experiencing a slowdown, Samuel resigned from Ant Group, where he had worked for nine years. He decided to start his own business to pursue his dream.

Samuel shares, ‘When I resigned, the newer members of my team were shocked and would ask in disbelief, “Samuel, are you really going to start your business?” However, those who had worked with me for years were not surprised at all. They would simply say, “Samuel is born to be an entrepreneur.”’

Despite his ambition, Samuel had just started his family and his son was only two years old. He had enjoyed a stable, middle-class life in Shanghai. When asked if he was fearful about leaving his high-paying job to venture into entrepreneurship, Samuel admits, ‘Of course I was scared! I would be lying if I said otherwise.’

Fortunately, Samuel’s wife supported his decision to start his own business. ‘My wife held very different views from others. She was very supportive of my decision,’ Samuel recalls. He also shares how the couple met: ‘We met at Alibaba. Although our roles were different, it was through Alibaba that we came together.’ Samuel is grateful for his wife’s encouragement, emphasising her unique contributions, ‘With her extensive experience working in various countries and her familiarity with the international business environment, she brought valuable insights. She is a bold yet cautious person. Her advice undoubtedly boosted my confidence in starting my business.’

The name of Samuel’s company AutoArk was his wife’s idea. Samuel explains, ‘We both believed that those working in AI aspire to an automated lifestyle. Meanwhile, the vast amount of data involved was like an enormous ocean. It felt as though we were navigating this ocean in an ark to chase our dream and explore endless possibilities. This was the inspiration behind the name “AutoArk”.’

‘I have never taken advantage of anyone’

Reflecting on his entrepreneurial journey, Samuel states, ‘A day without problems is not a normal day.’

From the initial office renovations to dealing with clients, government officials, and bankers, and from recruiting and managing the R&D team to handling financing, Samuel has been deeply involved in every aspect of the company, tackling challenges one at a time. ‘I often need to stamp a lot of different documents. Once, I spent an entire day just doing that, and my hands were really sore afterwards,’ he shares.

Throughout his entrepreneurial journey, Samuel has received much help and support. Despite the numerous challenges he has encountered, he consistently addresses them with a calm and gentle demeanour, ensuring that he never vents his emotions on others.

Samuel reflects, ‘My emotional intelligence has been greatly shaped by my supervisor at UM, Prof Wong Fai. He has had a profound influence on my outlook on life. It is not easy to meet someone who is willing to discuss everything with you while consistently maintaining a gentle demeanour and guiding you in forming your life’s ideals.’

A calm demeanour makes people more approachable, and Samuel stresses that he ensures a peaceful work environment. ‘I can confidently say that over the years, I have never taken advantage of anyone who has worked with me, especially my classmates from UM.’

A familiar figure

On 31 May this year, at the press conference for the launch of AutoArk’s ArkModel, a familiar figure was present among the government officials, AI researchers, and entrepreneurs attending the event. That person was Prof Wong. He was there to support his former student Samuel. Samuel notes that he and Prof Wong have maintained a strong relationship even though he graduated many years ago. ‘I feel blessed to have met a teacher who is willing to support me throughout my life,’ he says.

As a start-up focused on developing products based on core and fundamental AI technologies, AutoArk must achieve new breakthroughs in large AI models to secure future success. Looking ahead, Samuel’s next goal is to collaborate with higher education institutions, and his priority is his alma mater, the University of Macau.