Xiao-I Corporation & Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2024: Humanity’s Urgent Need to Address the Profound Challenges Posed by AI

The human race finds itself confronted with an immensely powerful artificial intelligence, demanding our utmost attention and consideration.

SHANGHAI, March 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The radiance of new science and technology illuminates the entire world from the shores of the South China Sea. On March 26, the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2024 was successfully held on the theme “Asia and the World: Common Challenges, Shared Responsibilities,” aiming to foster consensus on development and strengthen unity and cooperation. Mr. Yuan Hui, Chairman and CEO of Xiao-I Corporation, was invited to participate the forum where he shared profound insights on cutting-edge advancements in artificial intelligence.

According to the press conference of the BFA Annual Conference 2024, this year’s conference brought together nearly 2,000 delegates from over 60 countries and regions, along with more than 1,100 journalists from approximately 40 countries and regions. The conference focused on key topics including “global economy,” “technological innovation,” “social progress,” “international cooperation,” and “tackling challenges.” Participants extensively collaborated to explore the challenges and opportunities faced by Asia and the world in today’s era.

Regarding the “Technological Innovation” section, the BFA Annual Conference 2024 focuses on the forefront of global technological development, emerging industry development, and global AI governance. At the sub-forum on “when and where the breakthrough moment of technological revolution is?”, the participants engaged in in-depth discussions on cutting-edge topics such as the mutual empowerment of disruptive technologies like strong artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and controlled nuclear fusion, the “singularity” of technological revolution, and the scientific research driven by artificial intelligence (AI for Science).

This is Mr. Yuan’s eighth participation in the BFA Annual Conference, as well as the AI sub-forum. According to Mr. Yuan’s recollection, as early as 2016 when he attended the BFA Annual Conference, he firmly believed that “the AI singularity will definitely occur within the next thirty years”. Mr. Yuan emphasized that AI is a new species defined by humans and is different from all previous technological tools. The AI that humans envision is a new species with self-awareness, and humanity needs to attach great importance to the enormous challenges brought by AI.

From weak AI to strong AI, AI has progressed from aiding humans in basic tasks to creating various forms of content such as text, videos, music, and code using advanced models. Currently, we are faced with an incredibly powerful form of AI. Combining the concept of “new productive forces”, Mr. Yuan highlights that the relationship between humans and means of production has evolved from mere tool usage to tools rapidly transforming humans themselves. In the next stage of AI development, the ability for individuals and businesses to effectively utilize AI tools will be crucial for outperforming the market.

Mr. Yuan highlights that, in the past, artificial intelligence was limited to empowering specific sectors such as smart cities, call centers, and finance. However, with the advancement of large-scale model technology, today’s AI can empower diverse sectors.

The previous global economic model revolved around finite natural resources like land, creating a “land-centered economy” , which is the root cause of conflicts. However, there has been a shift in global attention towards the digital economy. Mr. Yuan suggests that in the new era, data has become the most significant production factor surpassing land, with its usage rapidly increasing. Algorithms play a crucial role in controlling and generating immense added value from data, making artificial intelligence central to humanity’s future in the digital economy.

Furthermore, Mr. Yuan emphasized that today’s AI has the potential to empower all industries. It is no longer possible for humans to control AI using technology alone. “If we want to ultimately control AI, it must be done in a non-AI way.” As AI has already permeated every aspect of life, no industry should reject it. To stay ahead in the next stage of development, it is important to adopt AI on a large scale as early as possible.

The rapid progress of large-scale models, integration of multimodal capabilities, and acceleration of new productive forces have garnered significant attention in Asia and worldwide. AI continues to deeply integrate with various industries, creating a future that presents both challenges and opportunities for collaboration between humans and AI.