Vice President of the Royal Society of the United Kingdom: Humanity Cannot Ignore the New Challenges Brought About by Technological Innovation

“A single tree cannot support a forest, but together they can make a forest”, Sir Mark Walport, Vice-President of the Royal Society, quoted this well-known Chinese idiom to describe the important value and significance of international cooperation when addressing various global challenges at the main forum of the 2024 Pujiang Innovation Forum held in Shanghai.

Sir Mark Walport emphasized that the world is experiencing an unprecedented era of rapid innovation, which is full of uncertainty. He highlighted the need for careful consideration by humans on how the current environment will shape the future of mankind and how it will affect generations to come.

He cited climate challenges as an example, stating that the world is warming at an unprecedented rate, and many climate changes will become irreversible. Additionally, he mentioned other challenges such as antibiotic resistance, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the sixth mass extinction, which are all having a significant impact on human life.

Sir Mark Walport also discussed the rapid development of technology, including energy technology, information technology, artificial intelligence, robotic systems, and quantum science. He emphasized that while these advancements bring opportunities, they also present challenges that require international cooperation to address.

He highlighted the importance of scientists working together to innovate and come up with solutions, citing the example of mRNA vaccines. He emphasized that important innovations can never come from individuals or groups, but rather from large-scale international cooperation.

The scientific and technological cooperation between China and the UK has a long history, with the Royal Society of London having exchanges with China dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries. Sir Mark Walport mentioned that China is the UK’s second largest partner in scientific and technological cooperation, and that the best scientific achievements are the result of cooperation.

He highlighted the cooperation between the Royal Society of the United Kingdom and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, which has led to discussions on important issues such as air quality and artificial intelligence ethics. He also mentioned the joint research center for plant and microbial sciences between the John Innes Center and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, which aims to address the global food crisis.

Sir Mark Walport concluded by emphasizing the importance of strengthening international cooperation to address the challenges that humanity will face in the future. He stated that cooperation is not limited to joint research and development of science and technology, but also includes studying how technology is not abused and how policies can truly benefit mankind.

Source: Shangguan News