Entering the forefront of the industry, Beijing middle school students explore the mysteries of AI

China News Service, Beijing, September 5. Title: Entering the front line of the industry, Beijing middle school students explore the mysteries of AI

China News Service reporter Li Baijia

“Can AI replace doctors in performing surgeries?” “Will AI develop self-awareness?” “As ‘indigenous people in the AI era,’ what can we do to avoid being eliminated by the times?”… At a recent science education event, children frequently raised their hands to ask questions to teaching experts.

The National Science Popularization Month special event "Future Lecture - Dialogue with AI and Asking Questions about the Future" hosted by the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation and iFlytek was held in Beijing on September 4. More than 60 Beijing middle school students went to the forefront of the industry to understand the development and practical applications of artificial intelligence, and immersed themselves in many technological achievements such as speech recognition and machine translation.

Faced with a series of imaginative and speculative questions, Wu Dayong, Dean of iFlytek Beijing Research Institute, answered them one by one. Combining speech recognition, large models, smart cockpits and other technical applications, he showed the children the process of AI moving from the laboratory to real life.

On September 4, the National Science Popularization Month special event "Future Lecture Hall - Dialogue with AI and Asking Questions about the Future" hosted by the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation and iFlytek was held in Beijing. The picture shows Wu Dayong, dean of iFlytek Beijing Research Institute, giving a lecture. Photo by China News Service reporter Li Baijia

"The significance of research is not only to 'top the sky' - to continuously promote breakthroughs in the boundaries of artificial intelligence technology." Wu Dayong said, but also to "ground", so that technology can truly be transformed into products and services, and enter specific scenarios such as education, medical care, justice, and administration to serve social life.

At the end of the course, students came to the artificial intelligence experience hall, operated speech recognition equipment, watched live demonstrations of AI technology, wore AI glasses to experience real-time cross-language interaction, and felt the charm of cutting-edge technology.

On September 4, the National Science Popularization Month special event "Future Lecture Hall - Dialogue with AI and Asking Questions about the Future" hosted by the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation and iFlytek was held in Beijing. The picture shows students trying out AI glasses at the iFlytek Artificial Intelligence Experience Hall of HKUST. Photo by China News Service reporter Li Baijia

"The AI tool I come into contact with most often is the intelligent learning machine. It can assist in correcting homework and give targeted suggestions, which brings a lot of help to my daily study." Wang Ruojin, a junior high school student from No. 8 Middle School in Fengtai District, Beijing, told China News Network that during this visit, she learned about the broader application scenarios of artificial intelligence in medical care, construction and other fields.

“The originally abstract concept of artificial intelligence becomes visible, perceptible, and tactile during the experience,” she said.

The development of artificial intelligence has changed the imagination of Hou Jiayi, a junior high school student in Fengtai District No. 2 Middle School in Beijing, about the future. She mentioned her recent experience of observing the Second World Humanoid Robot Games, "From the initial walking and trotting to now being able to complete complex actions such as running and jumping, the development of robots has achieved multi-dimensional leaps in a short period of time."

From intuitive observation on the field to in-depth understanding of the development path of artificial intelligence, Hou Jiayi further realized the connection between artificial intelligence and the real world, and felt the infinite possibilities behind the rapid iteration of technology.

Facing the opportunities and challenges brought by artificial intelligence, Li Yuhan, a junior high school student in the No. 8 Middle School in Fengtai District, Beijing, believes that teenagers should not just be passive users of technology, but should also actively learn and understand technology, and exercise their abilities of independent thinking and dialectical judgment.

“I hope this ‘Future Lecture’ can bring three gains to the students.” Wu Dayong said in an interview. First, to cultivate scientific thinking, learn to observe, question and verify like a scientist, not to believe in ready-made answers, and dare to ask “why”; secondly, to stimulate the sense of innovation, dare to imagine, and not be afraid of failure; and more importantly, establish a correct understanding of science and technology.

"AI is a powerful tool. What determines whether technology is good or not is the people who use it." Wu Dayong said that for growing teenagers, daring to ask questions about the future and actively understanding the technologies that are changing the world is the first step towards the future. (over)