About

I’m Grace Shao, an independent analyst and writer covering AI and technology, with a focus on Asia-Pacific and China. I started my career covering tech in Asia for various international publications. I then worked for and consulted with several major tech companies, including Alibaba, PayPal, Kuaishou, and Lenovo.

Today, I run AI Proem, a newsletter and research platform exploring the evolving landscape of AI and technology. My primary focus is on understanding the relationship between AI and energy resources, China’s AI and tech sectors, and their impact on the global business landscape. AI Proem reaches over 10,000 followers worldwide, with readers spanning big tech (Tencent, Meta, Google, Nvidia, Alibaba), AI startups, venture capitalists, public market investors, policy analysts, think tanks, and tech journalists.

My commentaries and analyses on China’s tech and AI ecosystem have been cited in Fortune, Time, AFP, BBC, Reuters, SCMP, Rest of World, and many more. I’ve been interviewed by industry podcasts like Big Technology Podcast, Analyse Asia, The Front Row Podcast, and others. And I’ve been published (op-eds and editorial) in Fortune, The Diplomat, Economist Intelligence Unit, CNBC, SCMP, S&P Global Market Intelligence, Yahoo Finance, USA Today, and others.

I’ve been honored to speak on tech and AI topics at events organized by UBS, Société Générale, Tencent, the American Chamber of Commerce, and others. I often give guest lectures at Tsinghua University, Peking University (Yenching Academy), Hong Kong Baptist University, and City University of Hong Kong. And I also host the podcast Differentiated Understanding, where I sit down with industry leaders, investors, and technologists to unpack the forces shaping AI and business globally.

I studied Finance at the University of Alberta, and an exchange at Tsinghua's School of Economics and Management reoriented my career toward China. Upon graduation, I moved to Beijing, pursued a Bloomberg-funded financial journalism degree at Tsinghua University, and immersed myself in the fast-paced economy. To hone my journalistic and research skills, I then studied at Columbia Journalism School. These educational milestones have shaped my foundational training as a storyteller and analyst grounded in journalistic thinking.

Bridging the culture and knowledge gaps between the West and China has always been deeply personal to me. Growing up moving between Mainland China, Canada, and the U.S. every few years, I was always the new kid lost in translation. Storytelling became my way of connecting with people and making sense of the world. That drive to bridge perspectives is what led me to leave a corporate career and build AI Proem — to inject my own observations, opinions, and findings into my writing and help investors, policymakers, and innovators better understand the tech landscape.

You can follow me on X @Gracemzshao or reach out via the Contact page for interviews, speaking engagements, or collaboration.