The Auspicious Dragon Returns to the Sea, Prosperity Brimming Abundantly; The Serpent Brings Blessings, Heralding a New Era

At this joyful time of bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new, I, on behalf of the Chinese Association for Artificial Intelligence (CAAI), extend my sincerest greetings and best wishes to all members, workers in science and technology, and friends from all walks of life who care about and support the development of artificial intelligence!

Looking back, artificial intelligence has intertwined with numerous cutting-edge fields, painting a magnificent picture of technological advancement. It reveals the boundless potential and wide-ranging value of the fusion of human intellect and technology. Today, global AI development has entered a new stage. Brain-inspired intelligence is delving into new depths, large model technologies are continuously evolving, and intelligent optical computing is reshaping the future landscape of computational power. AI has contributed to half of all Nobel Prize-level scientific discoveries, with "AI for Science" becoming a mainstream trend in scientific exploration, spearheading humanity’s advance into the unknown and uncovering hidden laws of nature. Simultaneously, from smart manufacturing to intelligent healthcare, from intelligent transportation to smart finance, from security to education, artificial intelligence has become an omnipresent driver of industry transformation, fostering new productive forces.

However, China’s AI development also faces challenges in areas such as data resources, technological innovation, and talent cultivation. Addressing these challenges requires coordinated efforts in fundamental research, innovation models, and ecosystem building, and especially by enhancing original innovation capabilities to solidify China’s competitive edge in the global AI arena.

Looking ahead to the new year, opportunities and challenges intertwine to form a tapestry of hope. The boundaries of intelligence will further expand, with new application scenarios and business models emerging like bamboo shoots in spring. Facing the future, we must seize this historic opportunity to expand the breadth and depth of fundamental research, overcome bottlenecks in critical core technologies, and build an internationally competitive AI industry ecosystem. At the same time, we must actively engage in AI education to cultivate for society well-rounded talents with both innovative capabilities and ethical literacy, allowing the flower of intelligence to bloom across broader landscapes.

In the coming year, the Association will continue to act as a bridge, focusing on cutting-edge innovation, bringing together industry, academia, and research to tackle critical technological challenges, and developing autonomous, secure, and reliable AI technology systems. We will deepen industrial empowerment, encourage comprehensive integration of intelligent technologies into traditional industries, foster new business formats and models, and promote high-quality economic development. Talent cultivation will also be a key focus, building multi-level, multidisciplinary talent pipelines to sustain the vitality of AI development. Furthermore, we will actively participate in global science and technology governance, amplifying China's voice on the international stage, contributing Chinese solutions, advancing hand-in-hand with the rest of the world to shape a smarter, better community of common destiny.

To all our members, fellow workers in science and technology, and friends from all fields: may you continue to delve deeply into the vast realm of AI, creating new chapters of brilliance! Let us illuminate the path of our times with the light of intelligence, contributing further wisdom and strength to the progress of human civilization!

On this New Year’s Day, I wish everyone success in your work, harmony to your families, and happiness and good health!

Dai Qionghai

President, Chinese Association for Artificial Intelligence

January 1, 2025