On June 6, Yin Ye, CEO of BGI Group and Vice Chairman of BGI Genomics, was invited to the Songjiang campus to deliver a lecture titled The AI+BT Era Has Arrived, What Should We Do? Party Secretary Liu Chenggong, Vice President Yan Linping, Standing Committee Member and United Front Work Department Head Zhu Ying, BGI Co-Chairman's Assistant and Mammoth Foundation Secretary-General Wang Kai attended the event. Relevant department heads from BGI Group and the university, along with faculty and students, participated in the event. This lecture was also part of the university's Weekly Lecture and Jingyue Life Science Forum series.
Before the lecture, Liu Chenggong and Yin Ye presented completion certificates to student representatives of the Life Science Super Interest Course.
During the lecture, Yin Ye comprehensively reviewed the development history of life sciences, internet, and artificial intelligence, providing an in-depth interpretation of the current hot topics in AI and BT integration. He believed that every crisis in human civilization forces society to become more open and inclusive, accelerating the conversion of scientific and technological innovations. However, he noted that technological insensitivity is the biggest challenge in modern society.
Yin analyzed the impacts of niche and popular industry divergence on industry involution and labor surplus, using ChatGPT as an example to illustrate that AI is a tool for humans. He emphasized that humanities without technology might be ignorant, but technology without humanities is definitely dangerous, urging everyone to promote the advancement of technology in positive and ethical directions. He demonstrated the differences in dominant and recessive genetic traits through thumb bending and single/double eyelids, highlighting that different people have different standards for excellence and success, and everyone has a suitable path. Yin also showcased BGI Group's modern biological science laboratory, stating that laboratories that can't build their own hardware can be first-class but often not top-tier. He encouraged students to embrace change and pursue lifelong learning to gain an advantage in the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation. Yin used humorous language to explain the impact of developing good habits on success, reminding college students not to indulge in games and short videos, and urging them to find their interests while young.
At the end of the lecture, Yin carefully answered students' questions and left an inscription for Donghua University students. Student representatives presented him with a cartoon drawing they created.
The Life Science Super Interest Course (SIC) was launched in 2024 by the School of Biological and Medical Engineering in collaboration with BGI Group's Mammoth Education, under the guidance of the Academic Affairs Office and other relevant departments. The course content is derived from the forefront of life science research and closely aligned with Shanghai's development of the biomedical pioneering industry. It aims to enhance students' patriotic aspirations to practice Healthy China and their academic interest in life sciences. After strict screening, 25 interdisciplinary students joined the course and successfully completed it. This course also provided valuable experience for the university in exploring joint training of top innovative talents with leading companies, focusing on industry and research frontiers.
