Keynote Speech at the Forum on Inter-Civilization Exchanges and Mutual Learning: Innovative Development of Science and Technology

He Junke

July 11, 2025

Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends,

As the Global Civilizations Dialogue Ministerial Meeting convenes in Beijing, we are honored to host the Forum on Inter-Civilization Exchanges and Mutual Learning: Innovative Development of Science and Technology. This gathering embodies the international scientific community’s strong endorsement of the Global Civilization Initiative. On behalf of the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST), I extend our warmest welcome to all distinguished guests.

Civilization crystalizes the collective memory of nations and peoples. The diversity of civilizations constitutes the intrinsic character of our world. Advancing the exchange, integration, and mutual appreciation among all human civilizations represents the surest path toward a more vibrant world and better lives for all peoples.

Science and technology fuel the advancement of human civilization. From the agrarian age through the industrial era to the information age, technological progress has catalyzed civilizational leaps. We now stand at the dawn of the artificial intelligence era. Concurrently, civilizational advancement facilitates the aggregation of knowledge, intellectual convergence, and accumulation of societal resources. Through mutual appreciation among civilizations, we enable knowledge synthesis, cross-pollination of ideas, and resource synergy—continuously propelling scientific and technological breakthroughs.

In this era of artificial intelligence, humanity stands at a transformative threshold, witnessing comprehensive restructuring of modes of existence, societal architectures, and civilizational paradigms. Fundamental shifts in how we live, work, and perceive reality present unparalleled prospects yet formidable challenges for global civilizational exchanges through mutual appreciation.

We observe artificial intelligence significantly enhancing the speed and reach of information flow, thereby enabling more dynamic civilizational exchanges. Smart information technologies are redefining human interaction beyond traditional limits—transcending temporal and spatial barriers to achieve seamless connectivity while dissolving linguistic divides. This empowers highly efficient multilingual, multimodal, and cross-cultural engagement, creating unprecedented avenues for civilizational dialogue. Indeed, our "global village" has materialized: billions now connect daily across continents through social platforms, spontaneously conversing, sharing perspectives, and building mutual understanding—a living testament to worldwide civilizational enrichment through mutual appreciation.

At the same time, we observe artificial intelligence presenting challenges to cultural diversity. Recommendation algorithms and generative content systems amplify the presence of dominant cultures, potentially accelerating cultural convergence and heightening marginalization risks for underrepresented traditions. Presently, English constitutes the primary linguistic foundation in major AI training corpora, placing numerous linguistic minorities and localized knowledge systems at critical risk within digital ecosystems. AI quietly imposes a monolithic cultural lens, resulting in the undervaluation, neglect, or exclusion of diverse creative expressions.

We witness a profound paradigm shift in knowledge creation. Humanity's collective knowledge base is expanding at exponential rates. The established approach of gradual scientific validation is yielding to generative AI-driven methodologies, where data serves as foundational input, algorithms autonomously discover insights, and vast quantities of "engineered knowledge" emerge. Knowledge now manifests dynamically—each interaction produces tailored cognitive maps—delivering quantum leaps in accessibility while reshaping conventional epistemic frameworks.

Yet this transformation in knowledge creation inevitably creates equity concerns across multiple dimensions. 

Intergenerationally, digital disparities are intensifying: older populations experience exclusion in smart technology adoption, while oral traditions like handicrafts and dialects face accelerated erosion. Within societies, AI magnifies educational imbalances; self-reinforcing information ecosystems widen perceptual divides and deepen social fragmentation. Globally, substantial infrastructure investments and prohibitive training costs establish rising barriers, as certain nations misuse technological advantages—causing late-developing countries to fall behind.

We witness a fundamental reshaping of scientific innovation models. Human-AI synergy now substantially accelerates research productivity. The emerging standard features hypothesis formulation by researchers coupled with machine-driven verification and refinement—enabling generative AI to compress knowledge renewal timelines dramatically. What once required annual technology upgrade cycles now approaches real-time evolution. In this era, disciplinary barriers are dissolving as cross-field data integration sparks revolutionary advances, steering innovation toward organic emergence.

Yet we confront a deepening "Matthew Effect‌" in technological advancement. Innovation now demands unprecedented access to data, infrastructure, and substantial funding—enabling dominant firms to control, even monopolize, innovation pipelines. This concentration fuels increasingly polarized outcomes. When corporations command computing infrastructure, specialized talent, and information assets, they establish self-perpetuating cycles: computational advantage begets superior data, attracting elite talent, thereby entrenching disparities in innovative capacity.

In this era of artificial intelligence, humanity confronts not merely a technological evolution but a profound reconfiguration of civilizational contours. Seizing its promise while navigating shared trials represents a defining collective choice—one that will shape our common future.

We must forge shared ethical foundations for technological progress through inter-civilizational dialogue, ensuring sci-tech advancement honors cultural plurality while building common principles. Western civilization originated modern science and subsequent tech revolutions, while China’s philosophical heritage—"harmony between the heaven and human" and "Harmony without uniformity"—offers distinctive pathways for responsible AI development. Across the Global South, varied cultural traditions continuously invigorate innovation ecosystems. Sustaining global civilizational exchanges enable AI systems to absorb cross-cultural wisdom as generative nourishment; cultivate emergent inspiration beyond conventional paradigms; and transcend embedded assumptions to affirm humanity’s civilizational richness.

We must harness collaborative innovation to construct connective pathways for inter-civilizational exchanges. Advancing global civilizational dialogue necessitates cultivating an open innovation ecosystem where knowledge flows freely, partnerships transcend borders, and emerging technologies distribute benefits equitably—ensuring developmental rights across all communities and nations. May scientific advancement evolve into a universally accessible, collectively enriching endeavor. Let technology function as civilization’s reconciler, humanity’s equilibrating mechanism for pluralistic values, and a nurturing crucible for shared wisdom—empowering our species to forge renewed civilizational frameworks for this AI age.

With open-minded determination, we must work together to build a community with a shared future for mankind. Technological advancement, however profound, shall never diminish human sovereignty. Embed multicultural lenses within algorithmic frameworks; amplify diverse civilizational voices throughout R&D processes; ensure scientific achievements manifest cross-cultural convergence. Only when technology’s rigorous logic coexists with the ancient wisdom that "all things flourish without harming each other" may humanity realize our collective aspiration: Tech for good.

Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed colleagues: To cultivate a just, embracing, and flourishing civilizational tapestry—where diverse traditions coexist in concert, steering clear of fragmented detours—is to honor our shared heritage and affirm humanity's sacred covenant with tomorrow.

Let us hold fast to the conviction of inter-civilizational exchanges. May civilization's radiance disperse discord, while technology forges pathways toward collaborative advancement. Together, we shall work to foster a global civilization of mutual appreciation — where each culture treasures its own beauty while celebrating the beauty of others.