On the morning of October 20, Academician Chunli Bai, former President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, was invited to deliver the 51st Dayu Zhang Lecture titled “Artificial Intelligence Promoting Paradigm Shifts in Chemical Research” at the Institute’s Conference Center. More than 200 participants, including Academician Tao Zhang, Party Secretary Yuqi Jin, Deputy Director Yanqiang Huang, and staff from scientific and administrative departments, attended the event both in person and online. The lecture was chaired by Academician Tao Zhang. During the meeting, Secretary Yuqi Jin presented Academician Chunli Bai with the Dayu Zhang Lecture Certificate.
In his opening remarks, Academician Tao Zhang warmly welcomed Academician Chunli Bai’s visit and briefly introduced the background and significance of the “Dayu Zhang Lecture.” Secretary Yuqi Jin, on behalf of the Institute, presented Academician Chunli Bai with a commemorative certificate of the “Dayu Zhang Lecture” to express gratitude for his outstanding contributions to the advancement of the chemical sciences.
In his lecture, Academician Chunli Bai systematically reviewed the historical evolution of artificial intelligence (AI)—from its conceptual origin to technological applications. He elaborated on AI’s potential strategic and leading role in driving the next scientific and technological revolution. Bai provided an in-depth analysis of how AI technologies are transforming the paradigms of chemical research by accelerating reaction prediction and new material discovery, advancing automation and intelligent experimentation, fostering interdisciplinary integration between chemistry and other fields, and deepening literature and data mining in chemical sciences. He also summarized key challenges facing the application of AI in chemistry and shared his outlook on future development directions. After the lecture, Academician Chunli Bai engaged in an in-depth discussion with researchers from the Institute, focusing on topics such as data security, legal and regulatory frameworks, policy systems, and career path choices for scientists in the context of AI development.
As a flagship academic event of the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, the "Dayu Zhang Lecture" aims to honor the scientific spirit of senior scientists like Mr. Dayu Zhang and to build a high-level platform for academic exchange. The successful organization of this session not only broadened the academic horizons of researchers but also injected new momentum into the integration of artificial intelligence with chemical research, playing a significant role in promoting interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation within the chemical sciences.
During his visit, Academician Chunli Bai also held academic exchanges with young researchers and graduate student representatives from the State Key Laboratory of Catalytic Conversion for Energy and Environment, the State Key Laboratory of Molecular Reaction Dynamics, and the Laboratory of Catalysis and New Materials. (Text by Xiangting Min and Yuan Gao; Photos by Yiding Xia)
