Born to artist parents, Fan has long been drawn to the world of creativity. “My heart wants to delve into art, but my parents always hoped their child would excel in mathematics, physics and chemistry. They believe having these skills means you can thrive anywhere in the world,” he says.

“I studied engineering, but my mission is to bring technology and creativity closer to each other,” Fan says. “I am also aware that the relationship between these two is more about rational conflict than fusion, which could lead to interesting outcomes.”

After graduating from the College of Architecture and Urban Planning at Shanghai’s Tongji University in 2005, Fan earned his master’s degree in architecture at Princeton University in 2007 and then his doctorate of design from Harvard University in 2014. Over the years, he has also served as an assistant professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts and a lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley.

In 2015, Fan launched Tezign, initially as a platform that matched creative talents with enterprises for their projects using algorithms and image recognition.

“This endeavour goes beyond just running a company or engaging in academia; it feels like something I was destined to do,” he says. “We have always operated in the space between technology and art, business and aesthetics, allowing an area with reasonable tension.” 

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As Fan’s platform has been working with large enterprises with substantial digital assets, he aims to transform the product into a system that allows clients to better manage their content.

He also wants to leverage these stored materials to create content that could drive business growth, such as enhancing the brands’ customer loyalty and experience. 

In 2017, Fan believed incorporating Artificial Intelligence-Generated Content (AIGC) technology could be the key to transforming this product and experimented with it in collaboration with the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba. However, the technology was still in its infancy, with high costs and unsatisfactory performance.

“AI has made significant progress in areas like language, image, sound, video and 3D modelling. The technical barrier has been greatly lowered,” Fan says.

To further scale Tezign, he and his team are developing best practices for their clients across industries, allowing them to replicate success in different spaces and improve their product along the way.

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Before founding Tezign, Fan, who is now the director of Tongji University’s Design AI Lab, taught a course on human-computer interaction (HCI). Examples of such interactions include eye-tracking and speech-recognition technologies.

He says that ten years ago, this discipline was opposed to AI, as it aimed to achieve outcomes that neither humans nor machines could accomplish alone; in contrast, AI is often seen as a tool to replace human effort.

Even as Fan delves deep into AI now, he continues to be a strong advocate of human-machine collaboration. “Our original intention is not to replace humans with AI but to empower them to achieve greater deeds with it,” he says.

“The development of AIGC and AI has lowered the barriers to technology. We should practise as much as possible, make mistakes and create synergies with existing entities. It is important to maintain an open mind and collaborate with AI to produce open-ended results.”

Read more: Aradhita Parasrampuria’s mission to transform fashion: Bridging biotechnology and design for a sustainable future

Below, we ask Fan a series of quick-fire questions to discover the practices that drive his success. 

How do you typically bring an idea to life? 

Fan Ling (FL): I believe in building and creating. I take action first and then reflect on whether there is a better approach, rather than spending a lot of time thinking before acting. By taking action, I find answers. Trying to find answers before taking action may lead to achieving nothing.

What do you like to do outside of work?

FL: I don’t have many hobbies—my work takes up my entire life. If I had to identify one, it would be enjoying time alone. I like taking long walks and listening to music and podcasts. I need some personal time that is peaceful and quiet. This allows me to take in information while avoiding the pressure to produce anything, which helps me relax and unwind.

Who have been your biggest motivators in your journey?

FL: Professor Lou Yongqi, the vice president of Tongji University, Dr Wang Jian, the founder of Alibaba Cloud, and, of course, my family.

What’s one piece of advice you’d share with younger entrepreneurs?

FL: Find like-minded people who share your views on money and wealth. 

This article is part of Founder Stories, a series dedicated to discovering the untold stories and challenges of today’s entrepreneurs on their climb to the top.

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