Computing power highlighted as new-generation infrastructure in AI era

A forum based on theme of "Future Computing - Future Compute Power" was held on July 18 in Shanghai on the sidelines of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance, highlighting computing power as the new-generation infrastructure in the AI era.

The forum was hosted by the University of Science and Technology of China and the College of Computing at City University of Hong Kong, and jointly organized by Fudan University, Pengcheng Laboratory, and the Shanghai Computing Power Network Association.

It gathered top scholars, academicians, entrepreneurs, and investors from the United Nations, the United States, Europe, China and Japan to engage in interdisciplinary, cross-regional, and intergenerational dialogues on reconstructing the computing paradigm in the post-Moore era.

GUiTEK and iFLYTEK, both based in Hefei in East China's Anhui province, provided support for the host of the event.

The forum began with the launch of the space computing constellation for "Xingshu Plan", a landmark space digital infrastructure of Shanghai. It also generated significant achievements, including the launch of the Quantum Intelligence Industry Alliance.

These developments signify China's critical transition from laboratory research to industrialization in quantum, space and green computing.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Alexander De Croo, administrator of the United Nations Development Programme and former prime minister of Belgium, highlighted that while AI appears to be digital technology, its essence lies in the physical infrastructure of energy, water, materials, and talent. Without restructuring the underlying paradigm, the true value of AI cannot be globally realized, he said.

Chang Jin, president of the University of Science and Technology of China and an academician from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, emphasized that the physical limits of computing power lie not in the extension of traditional paths but in new directions such as quantum computing and space computing.

Michael Ngai Ming Tak, chairman of the Council of the City University of Hong Kong, compared advanced computing power to essential infrastructure like electricity and the internet, urging universities, industries, governments, and capital to redefine their roles in this transformative era.

Michael Ngai Ming Tak, chairman of the Council of the City University of Hong Kong, chaired the roundtable discussion.

Participants at the forum reached a consensus on a number of issues, agreeing that computing power should be planned as a national infrastructure accessible and affordable like the power grid, and education systems must incorporate cutting-edge fields into undergraduate curricula.

In addition, they said the industry should avoid hype and focus on tangible progress, while patient capital is needed, with specialized financial tools to support long-term investments in hard technology projects.