AI Agent Business
How autonomous AI agents reshape consumer search and choice, transactions, firm strategy, and digital business models.
Marketing · Digital Economy · Artificial Intelligence
Understanding markets in the age of AI
I study how artificial intelligence, recommender systems, data-driven algorithms, and algorithmic pricing reshape decisions by firms and consumers. My work combines economics and machine learning to understand the opportunities and risks created by digital technologies.
A parallel stream of my research examines consumer protection, data governance, and responsible market design in the digital age.
- AI Agent Business
- Algorithmic Markets
- Data and Privacy
- Economics of AI
Research mission
Research at the intersection of markets and technology
I use economic theory, empirical methods, and machine learning to explain how digital systems reshape markets—and how they can be designed more responsibly.
Algorithmic Markets
How algorithms reshape pricing, competition, information disclosure, and strategic interaction among firms.
Data and Privacy
How data collection and sharing create value while introducing privacy risks and governance challenges.
Economics of AI
How incentives, costs, and market structure shape the development and adoption of AI—and its effects on productivity and welfare.
Selected work
Recent publications
Crowdfunding Success for Female versus Male Entrepreneurs Depends on Whether a Consumer versus Investor Decision Frame Is Salient
Journal of Marketing Research, 62(2), 274–293
Is Personalized Pricing Profitable When Firms Can Differentiate?
Management Science, 70(7), 4184–4199
Experience
Academic appointments
Professor
Faculty of Business and Economics, The University of Hong Kong
Associate Professor
Faculty of Business and Economics, The University of Hong Kong
Assistant Professor
College of Business, City University of Hong Kong
Education
Academic training
Ph.D. in Management
University of Toronto
M.Phil. in Operations Research
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
B.E. in Computer Science and Technology
Tsinghua University
Recognition
Honors & awards
Selected recognition for research, service, and academic achievement.
HKU Business School Outstanding Researcher Award
Marketing Science Service Award
Runner-up, Franco Nicosia Best Competitive Paper Award
View earlier awards
Top 50 Author Productivity in the Premier Marketing Journals (2014–2023), American Marketing Association
Marketing Science Service Award
MSI Young Scholar
Dean's Research Excellence Award, College of Business, City University of Hong Kong
President's Award, City University of Hong Kong
Award for Outstanding Self-financed Students Abroad, China Scholarship Council
Outstanding Undergraduate Thesis, Tsinghua University
Teaching
Courses & cases
Undergraduate
Digital Marketing
A quantitative view of digital marketing, spanning search, display advertising, social networks, programming, and data analytics.
Open course
MSc Marketing
Algorithms, AI, and Market Analytics
An interdisciplinary course connecting computer science, economics, marketing, machine learning, econometrics, and statistics.
Open course
Course materials
Marketing Analytics
Open course
Course materials
Python for Data Analytics
Open course
Course materials
互联网数字营销与传统行业创新商业模式分析
Open course
Case · Asia Case Research Centre, HKU · 2026
Beyond Chatbots: The Promise of Agentic AI for Video Games
With Bingqing Li, Xin Wang, and Edward Yuhang Lai · Ref. No. 26/858C
View case
Case · Asia Case Research Centre, HKU · 2022
Valuation of Hong Kong Residential Property
With Kelvin S. K. Wong and Churong Wang · Ref. No. 22/742C
View casePublic engagement
In the media
Commentary on AI, digital markets, pricing, and consumer welfare.
View more media coverage
Research collaboration & RA opportunities
Interested in markets, algorithms, or AI?
I welcome conversations with researchers, students, and organizations working on related questions.