On March 17, 2023, eight YCA Scholars joined at the tea party in the Yenching Academy Library. They met with new artificial intelligence technologies in the cozy library room filled with traditional books in print.
The Academy invited Wang Xuanzhi, a doctoral candidate from the PKU School of Computer Science, to the tea party lecture. Wang introduced machine learning, data analysis tools like Matlab and Python, and trends in artificial intelligence (AI). She also gave tips to our Scholars on how to get started with data analysis tools in their social sciences research.
Wang Xuanzhi possesses solid theoretical knowledge and rich experience in scientific research. Based on her own experience, she saw an increasingly important role of data analysis in disciplines, applications, and daily life, against the backdrop of the information explosion in the modern era. Wang briefly reviewed the data analysis history, now characterized by AI technologies, machine learning, and self-directed learning. Given our Scholars’ needs, Wang recommended a couple of data analysis tools, including Matlab and Python, and effective tutorials. She hoped the new tools could facilitate our Scholars’ quest for empirical analysis in the current waves of information to better navigate the vast world.
Our Scholars were greatly interested in Wang’s lecture and consulted her about the impacts of AI-based ChatGPT and data analysis technologies on scientific research and future professions. Wang held that many professions would be affected by AI technologies like ChatGPT. But she also pointed out that the data integrity of the AI chatbot is unsatisfactory due to ethical and political reasons. Wang did not think ChatGPT was capable of replacing the creative work of humanity. She thus concluded that AI softwares might be good tools in the preparatory stage of scientific research, but they cannot replace the scientific research process, particularly the part requiring humanity’s ingenuity and innovation.
When like-minds meet, new ideas will spring out. All the participants enjoyed the thought-provoking tea party, feeling greatly inspired when they left. We all look forward to reuniting like this again, talking, learning, encouraging, and inspiring each other.
