AI "speeds up" China's scientific innovation
The article describes how artificial intelligence is accelerating scientific innovation in China.
TroibNews 
In a modern laboratory at XtalPi's Shanghai base, a researcher uses a smart glass to write a chemical formula.
Promptly, a robotic assistant powered by artificial intelligence (AI) begins a set of precise operations that involve gathering materials, adding reagents, starting reactions, and conducting tests, mimicking the meticulous nature of a chef making a meal.
This scene demonstrates the revolution AI is sparking in new drug development by bringing enhanced efficiency and innovative capabilities.
China is nearing a major industrial transformation largely driven by foundational research, with AI playing an increasingly vital role in pushing the boundaries of scientific progress.
Lately, the integration of machine learning and newly developed AI technologies for complex mathematical problems is pioneering a new method of scientific exploration known as AI for Science (AI4Science).
This concept is redefining research limits and facilitating deeper investigations and discoveries within various scientific areas.
Last year, the Ministry of Science and Technology and the National Natural Science Foundation of China initiated a project aiming to use advanced AI models and algorithms to foster significant advancements in genetics and biological breeding fields.
This month, OpenLAM, a Chinese developed open-source large language model (LLM), launched seven new model solutions designed to tackle intricate issues in fields like alloy development, pharmaceuticals, solid-state batteries, semiconductors, and superconductivity.
Furthermore, AI has made impressive strides in improving the precision and efficiency of weather predictions, altering how forecasts are made and prepared for.
A team in Shanghai developed an AI-based weather prediction system called FengWu, utilizing a complex deep learning framework that can deliver precise global weather forecasts up to 10 days in advance within just 30 seconds.
"FengWu model exemplifies the transformative potential of AI within the realms of Earth sciences and beyond," stated Ouyang Wanli, the lead scientist at the Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Laboratory.
Additionally, Huawei's Pangu Weather model is setting new standards in meteorological predictions with its exceptional accuracy over durations from an hour to a week, outperforming many established meteorological centers in Europe and the U.S.
Reports from the Central Meteorological Observatory of China highlighted the model's accurate predictions for Typhoon Mawar in June 2023 and Typhoon Doksuri the previous year.
Beyond Earth, AI's utility stretches to astronomical pursuits, with Tencent collaborating with the National Astronomical Observatories to use AI in enhancing the efficiency of pulsar searches by China's Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST). This method has dramatically expedited data processing, achieving in three days what would take a year otherwise, and has helped detect two fast radio bursts to aid understanding of the universe's origins.
Recently, researchers in Yantai trained an AI system for efficient catalyst screening, selecting four promising molecular formulas from over 14,000 possibilities.
"Using conventional approaches, a seasoned analyst could perform approximately 20 experiments annually. To explore such a vast array of candidates, it would have required the efforts of 20 analysts over 35 years," remarked Liao Zengtai, chairman of Wanhua Chemical.
"However, with the adoption of AI, this extensive endeavor was completed in a mere six months," Liao added.
AI is also instrumental in enhancing the design of enzymes and optimizing chemical synthesis pathways, facilitating rapid material discovery and lab automation, noted Yang Jinlong, a professor from the University of Science and Technology of China.
In battery technology improvement, Zhang Linfeng, president of the AI for Science Institute in Beijing and founder of DP Technology, underlined the challenge of monitoring lithium dendrites which can impair lithium batteries. He stressed that AI, especially large language models, is crucial in addressing these complex issues effectively.
DP Technology's recognition in the CB Insight's AI 100 ranking in 2024 underlines the shift of China's AI4Science from research settings to the marketplace as a promising investment area.
Additionally, MindRank, a biotech company based in Hangzhou, used its AI tools to swiftly identify a promising preclinical candidate drug from nearly 100 molecules in about eight months. The drug, MDR-001, now has clinical trial approval in both China and the U.S. for treating obesity and type 2 diabetes.
According to a report by Crystal Stream Capital, AI4Science promises to deeply and persistently impact basic sciences, leading to further technological advancements and the field of smart manufacturing.
"AI4Science has enormous potential and will comprehensively transform the process from scientific research to industrial application," stated E Weinan, a professor from Peking University.
"It represents the best opportunity in the history of China's sci-tech innovation," he added.
Emily Johnson for TROIB News
Promptly, a robotic assistant powered by artificial intelligence (AI) begins a set of precise operations that involve gathering materials, adding reagents, starting reactions, and conducting tests, mimicking the meticulous nature of a chef making a meal.
This scene demonstrates the revolution AI is sparking in new drug development by bringing enhanced efficiency and innovative capabilities.
China is nearing a major industrial transformation largely driven by foundational research, with AI playing an increasingly vital role in pushing the boundaries of scientific progress.
Lately, the integration of machine learning and newly developed AI technologies for complex mathematical problems is pioneering a new method of scientific exploration known as AI for Science (AI4Science).
This concept is redefining research limits and facilitating deeper investigations and discoveries within various scientific areas.
Last year, the Ministry of Science and Technology and the National Natural Science Foundation of China initiated a project aiming to use advanced AI models and algorithms to foster significant advancements in genetics and biological breeding fields.
This month, OpenLAM, a Chinese developed open-source large language model (LLM), launched seven new model solutions designed to tackle intricate issues in fields like alloy development, pharmaceuticals, solid-state batteries, semiconductors, and superconductivity.
Furthermore, AI has made impressive strides in improving the precision and efficiency of weather predictions, altering how forecasts are made and prepared for.
A team in Shanghai developed an AI-based weather prediction system called FengWu, utilizing a complex deep learning framework that can deliver precise global weather forecasts up to 10 days in advance within just 30 seconds.
"FengWu model exemplifies the transformative potential of AI within the realms of Earth sciences and beyond," stated Ouyang Wanli, the lead scientist at the Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Laboratory.
Additionally, Huawei's Pangu Weather model is setting new standards in meteorological predictions with its exceptional accuracy over durations from an hour to a week, outperforming many established meteorological centers in Europe and the U.S.
Reports from the Central Meteorological Observatory of China highlighted the model's accurate predictions for Typhoon Mawar in June 2023 and Typhoon Doksuri the previous year.
Beyond Earth, AI's utility stretches to astronomical pursuits, with Tencent collaborating with the National Astronomical Observatories to use AI in enhancing the efficiency of pulsar searches by China's Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST). This method has dramatically expedited data processing, achieving in three days what would take a year otherwise, and has helped detect two fast radio bursts to aid understanding of the universe's origins.
Recently, researchers in Yantai trained an AI system for efficient catalyst screening, selecting four promising molecular formulas from over 14,000 possibilities.
"Using conventional approaches, a seasoned analyst could perform approximately 20 experiments annually. To explore such a vast array of candidates, it would have required the efforts of 20 analysts over 35 years," remarked Liao Zengtai, chairman of Wanhua Chemical.
"However, with the adoption of AI, this extensive endeavor was completed in a mere six months," Liao added.
AI is also instrumental in enhancing the design of enzymes and optimizing chemical synthesis pathways, facilitating rapid material discovery and lab automation, noted Yang Jinlong, a professor from the University of Science and Technology of China.
In battery technology improvement, Zhang Linfeng, president of the AI for Science Institute in Beijing and founder of DP Technology, underlined the challenge of monitoring lithium dendrites which can impair lithium batteries. He stressed that AI, especially large language models, is crucial in addressing these complex issues effectively.
DP Technology's recognition in the CB Insight's AI 100 ranking in 2024 underlines the shift of China's AI4Science from research settings to the marketplace as a promising investment area.
Additionally, MindRank, a biotech company based in Hangzhou, used its AI tools to swiftly identify a promising preclinical candidate drug from nearly 100 molecules in about eight months. The drug, MDR-001, now has clinical trial approval in both China and the U.S. for treating obesity and type 2 diabetes.
According to a report by Crystal Stream Capital, AI4Science promises to deeply and persistently impact basic sciences, leading to further technological advancements and the field of smart manufacturing.
"AI4Science has enormous potential and will comprehensively transform the process from scientific research to industrial application," stated E Weinan, a professor from Peking University.
"It represents the best opportunity in the history of China's sci-tech innovation," he added.
Emily Johnson for TROIB News
