AI to play key role in scientific collaboration

Scientists and researchers from BRICS countries are working together to utilize cutting-edge technologies, including artificial intelligence and high-performance computing, to address global challenges within the framework of the bloc's scientific and technological innovation cooperation.

In early July, the seventh meeting of the BRICS working group on information, communication and technologies, and high-performance computing was held at East China Normal University in Shanghai.

According to a news release from the university, more than 30 representatives from China, Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa attended the meeting, including computer science experts and officials from science, technology and education authorities.

It said that the conference of the working group — an important think tank in the field of scientific and technological innovation for BRICS countries — was the most important academic meeting in the field of computer science to be held before the 15th BRICS Summit in South Africa, which opens in Johannesburg on Tuesday.

The main responsibilities of the working group are to provide recommendations for flagship and general projects in the field of information and communication technology and high-performance computing for cooperation among the BRICS countries, and to provide key topics for scientific and technological cooperation for the BRICS Ministerial Meeting and the BRICS Summit.

During the two-day meeting, the working group reached a basic consensus on the candidate topics for the flagship projects of innovation cooperation among the BRICS countries, according to the news release.

AI for education has been included as a new candidate topic, which will focus on using generative AI technologies in large-scale personalized learning.

There are another three candidate topics awaiting approval, which are digital twin platform, digital health and digital Earth.

Zhou Aimin, the executive chief of the working group meeting and dean of the School of Computer Science and Technology at East China Normal University, told China Daily that those topics mainly refer to the use of AI technologies to address problems in various fields.

For example, digital health is mainly targeted at developing digital technology infrastructures for promoting medicine, precision medicine and clinical applications, according to Zhou.

"It is quite important for scientists from these five major developing countries to discuss these relevant topics," he said. "We can work together to find solutions to the challenges we all face while sharing research results in our respective fields.

"For example, in the field of digital Earth, China has achieved relatively good results," said the expert. "So China can share its experiences and research results with other BRICS countries."

The meeting of the BRICS working group on information, communication and technologies, and high-performance computing will be held yearly, with the next meeting scheduled to be held in Russia in 2024.