On the evening of May 6, Sias 26th Student Debate Competition culminated in a final showdown held at the Lecture Hall on the first floor of the Administration Building. Centered on the theme "In an era of human-AI coexistence: Should we pursue 'adaptation' for symbiotic harmony or prioritize 'control' to maintain agency?", the debate featured the Chinese Debate Team from the School of Literature and Law (affirmative side) and their counterparts from Boya Residential College (negative side), who delivered a compelling exchange of perspectives. Prof. Lucy Lu, Provost and Vice President of Sias University, graced the occasion as a guest speaker, joined by administrators of Sias Youth League Committee, Boya Residential College, representatives from Sias Chinese Debate Team, and an audience exceeding 200 faculty members and students, all gathered to witness this intellectual spectacle.
Prof. Lu anchored her remarks in Sias's "AI+X" pedagogical reform initiative and its dual-academy collaborative education model, framing the debate as both an intellectual convergence and a microcosm of academic community-building. She underscored the existential imperative for youth to cultivate critical thinking as an anchor amid rapid technological evolution, urging contemplation of three pivotal questions: How to redefine learning paradigms through AI? How to leverage AI for human development? And how to safeguard humanistic values in an AI-augmented world? Concluding her address, Prof. Lu challenged students to remain both enthusiastic innovators and ethical stewards—to become pioneers of technological advancement while serving as guardians of human-centric values throughout their "AI+X" journeys.
As a key initiative to deepen Sias's "AI+X" pedagogical reform and collaborative education model between professional schools and residential colleges, this debate competition aimed to guide students in exploring their responsibilities and missions in the AI era through intellectual collision. The affirmative team from the School of Literature and Law, advocating "adaptation for symbiosis," emphasized the irreversibility of AI technological development and proposed that humanity should proactively integrate into technological ecosystems to achieve symbiotic coexistence. The negative team from Boya Residential College, championing "proactive control," argued from perspectives of technological sovereignty and risk prevention, calling for humanity to maintain dominance in the AI revolution. Through layered exchanges involving data analysis, philosophical discourse, and real-world case studies, both sides demonstrated the profound integration of interdisciplinary competencies and humanistic values cultivated under the dual-academy collaborative education framework.
The climax of the event arrived with commentary by Instructor Jin Chao from the Chinese Debate Team of Sias Youth League Committee. He presented a dialogue with AI: when queried about "human-AI symbiosis," the AI experienced a logical breakdown. Jin highlighted humanity's current technological symbiosis with AI through brain-computer chips and data interaction, citing research from the London School of Economics to reveal how AI data overload might trigger uncontrollable cognitive leaps and technological acceleration. Addressing human values, he concluded from a humanistic perspective that humanity's nobility lies in the spiritual eruption from struggles between the self and the ego—manifestations like selfless solidarity, sacrifice for justice, and compassion for all humanity. "Even if humanity must eventually relinquish its role on the cosmic stage," he declared, "the philosophy of 'I think, therefore I am' remains life's resplendent hymn to the universe."
Following a month of intense competition, the Chinese Debate Team of the School of Literature and Law claimed the championship title at this year's Student Debate Competition, with the Chinese Debate Team of Boya Residential College and Qixian Residential College securing second and third runner-up honors respectively. Boya Residential College team was additionally recognized with the Spiritual Civilization Award. Meng Yantong was named "Best Debater of the Competition," while Xie Zhuofan and nine other students received "Best Debater" accolades.
As an exemplary practice of Sias's "dual-academy collaborative education," this debate tournament deeply integrates professional literacy training with ideological and political leadership, providing a stage for young students to show their critical talents and deepen their knowledge of AI ethics. Sias students will take this tournament as a starting point, continue to break the waves in the starry sea of "AI+X," and write a humanistic answer sheet for the technological era with youthful commitment.
