Chinese researchers have activated a super-powered artificial intelligence (AI) system designed to autonomously conduct high-level scientific research by tapping directly into the country’s National Supercomputing Network (SCNet). This launch comes just one month after U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled the Genesis Mission, an “AI Manhattan Project” aimed at securing American technological dominance, setting the stage for a new front in the global AI rivalry.
The system, reported by the official China Science Daily, represents a significant leap in AI application. It can accept simple natural language commands and then independently deconstruct complex research tasks, allocate vast computing power, run simulations, analyze data, and generate comprehensive scientific reports—all with minimal human oversight. This transforms a process that once took scientists a full day into one that can be completed in about an hour, according to SCNet officials. “Science is shifting from number crunching to AI-powered discovery,” stated Qian Depei, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and head of an SCNet expert panel, at the project’s launch. He explained that such AI agents connect tools, data, and computing power scattered across different systems, giving scientists superior tools to innovate faster.
This Chinese initiative is already operational at scale, serving users from more than a thousand potential institutions nationwide via a network linking over 30 supercomputing centres. It supports nearly 100 scientific workflows in fields from materials science to biotechnology. In contrast, the competing U.S. Genesis Mission, led by the Department of Energy, is bound by a strict proof-of-progress timeline, requiring operational capability within 270 days of its announcement. The U.S. plan focuses on six priority areas, including semiconductors and biotechnology, and aims to leverage the federal government’s massive research datasets.
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The core breakthrough, and its associated risk, lies in granting AI direct access and control over a national supercomputing infrastructure. For decades, nations have invested billions in these systems for sensitive tasks like simulating nuclear explosions or designing stealth fighters. Integrating a “super scientist” AI into this network could dramatically accelerate breakthroughs but also carries unprecedented risks, including potential data leaks or compromised security for classified weapons systems. Despite this, the strategic push is clear. Cao Zhennan, deputy director of the High Performance Computer Research Centre, emphasized at the launch that “AI for Science is not only a technical pathway but also a transformation in how research is organised.”
This development follows Beijing’s national “AI+” initiative launched in August, explicitly calling for AI to accelerate discovery. The nearly simultaneous unveiling of major AI science programs by both superpowers signals a recognized paradigm shift. The race is no longer just about building faster computers but about creating intelligent systems that can autonomously use them, potentially reshaping the pace and direction of scientific progress itself. While the U.S. plan mobilizes its resources, China’s first-mover advantage with a deployed system marks a pivotal moment, indicating that the next great technological leap may be born from a cycle of AI-driven discovery, itself fueled by fierce international competition.
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