Alibaba launches Luohan Academy open research platform

Alibaba has established the ‘Luohan Academy’, an open research platform with Nobel Laureates and international social scientists. The initiative aims to address universal challenges faced by societies arising from the rapid development of digital technologies, Alibaba said. The Luohan Academy complements Alibaba’s DAMO Academy, a global research program established last October with a focus on developing technologies. The Luohan Academy will focus on examining the implications that technologies will bring to the societies in the future.

During the first conference held in Hangzhou this week, the committee of the Luohan Academy convened and signed the mission statement. The Luohan Academy aims to get societies well-prepared for the unprecedented structural transformation brought by advanced technologies, such big data, machine learning, artificial intelligence and robotics. It will study the coming digital revolution to benefit societies and individuals both domestically and internationally.

The Luohan Academy will focus on the digital economy in the initial stage and will recruit additional social scientists and gradually expand to cover more research areas. The Academy also looks for opportunities to collaborate with top research institutions worldwide.

In Chinese Buddhist teachings, the 18 Luohans are those who have reached a stage of higher consciousness and freed from the need of earthly. These Luohans represent wisdom, courage and power.