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AI tech speeds up China's R&D innovation(Xinhua) 08:45, August 01, 2024
* China is on the cusp of an industrial revolution powered increasingly by basic research, where AI technology is rapidly emerging as a key catalyst for the advancement of frontier sciences.
* The Ministry of Science and Technology, together with the National Natural Science Foundation of China, launched a project to harness the power of AI in advancing frontier scientific research.
* "AI4Science has enormous potential and will comprehensively transform the process from scientific research to industrial application," said E Weinan, a professor from Peking University.
BEIJING, July 31 (Xinhua) -- At a state-of-the-art lab, a researcher scribbles a chemical formula on the smart glass surface.
Instantly, with a digital command, the robotic "scientist" empowered by artificial intelligence (AI) launches into executing a sequence of tasks including material retrieval, reagent addition, reaction initiation, monitoring and testing, all with the ease and precision of a culinary expert preparing a dish.
This vivid scenario unfolds within the cutting-edge automated laboratory at XtalPi's Shanghai headquarters. Here, AI is revolutionizing the field of new drug discovery, infusing the process with unprecedented efficiency and innovation.
This photo taken on March 1, 2024 shows robotic workstations developed by XtalPi Inc. in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Hong Zehua)
China is on the cusp of an industrial revolution powered increasingly by basic research, where AI technology is rapidly emerging as a key catalyst for the advancement of frontier sciences.
In recent years, the prowess of machine learning and the emergence of generative AI technologies in tackling complex mathematical challenges have combined to usher in a transformative approach to scientific inquiry -- AI for Science (AI4Science).
This innovative paradigm is redefining the boundaries of research, enabling deeper exploration and discovery across various scientific disciplines.
Last year, the Ministry of Science and Technology, together with the National Natural Science Foundation of China, launched a project to harness the power of AI in advancing frontier scientific research.
The project is designed to deploy sophisticated AI models and algorithms to drive breakthroughs in genetic studies and stimulate significant progress in the field of biological breeding.
NEW MODELS
Earlier this month, OpenLAM, a Chinese open-sourced large language model (LLM), introduced a suite of seven innovative model solutions tailored to address complex challenges in areas such as alloy development, pharmaceutical small molecules, solid-state battery technology, semiconductors and high-temperature superconductivity.
AI technology has also made significant strides in enhancing the accuracy and efficiency of weather forecasting, revolutionizing the way that people predict and prepare for meteorological events.
A Shanghai team has developed an AI weather forecast system named FengWu, based on multi-model and multi-task deep learning architecture, capable of generating high-precision global meteorological forecast results for the following 10 days in just 30 seconds.
Compared with traditional physical models, FengWu reduces the rate of error by 19.4 percent and extends the forecast range to 10.75 days based on reanalysis data, according to the Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, one of its developers.
"The FengWu model exemplifies the transformative potential of AI within the realms of Earth sciences and beyond," said Ouyang Wanli, the lab's lead scientist.
Visitors look at Pangu Weather AI model developed by Huawei during the 2023 World AI Conference in Shanghai, east China, July 6, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Xiang)
Pangu Weather, another cutting-edge model developed by Huawei, is also making waves in the field of meteorology with its precise weather forecasts.
Its predictive accuracy, ranging from a period of one hour to seven days, has surpassed that of several meteorological centers in Europe and the United States for these same periods.
According to the Central Meteorological Observatory of China, the model showed impressive performance in the trajectory prediction of Typhoon Mawar in June 2023 and was successfully utilized in forecasting Typhoon Doksuri last year.
Moreover, in the vast expanses of the universe beyond our planet, AI is proving its capabilities, contributing to our understanding and exploration of the cosmos.
In a pioneering collaboration with the National Astronomical Observatories, Tencent, a Chinese tech giant, is spearheading a star exploration initiative that utilizes AI to boost the efficiency of pulsar searches conducted by China's Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST).
Remarkably, this AI-assisted approach can complete data processing work in three days that would otherwise have taken a year.
