The 2023 Pacific Rim Health Innovations Conference (PRHIC 2023) began in Guangzhou, Guangdong province on Friday to share views on the cultivation of medical scientists, robotic surgery and digital medical innovation.

The event is organized by the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, University of California at Berkeley in the United States and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University is cooperating with the University of California, Berkeley and Davis in robotic surgery and digital health, and with Nanyang Technological University in precision medicine engineering, said Gao Song, president of Sun Yat-sen University.

It is devoted to cultivating innovative and comprehensive medical talent capable of leading future development, he said.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming a pillar in predictive diagnosing and personalized treatment, said Xiao Haipeng, president of the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University.

However, it should not be forgotten that technology is a tool. The core of medical practice continues to be interpersonal connection, empathy and care, he said.