Experts: Tech to play positive role in art world

Experts gathered in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, on Nov 21 to discuss how new technologies can be utilized as a force for good in the art world, saying that their integration could lead to the creation of works of great significance.

Shu Yong, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said he hoped there would be a deeper integration of science and art.

"While technological revolutions have sparked artistic revolutions, I also hope that art can empower the development of technology. The humanities can offer fresh insights for technological advancement, which is of great significance," he said at the 2025 National Conference on Science Popularization Content Creation.

Shu, who is also vice-president of the Kaiming Art Academy of the Central Committee of the China Association for Promoting Democracy, said there will be inevitable changes brought by disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence. However, neither the instinctive elements of the humanities nor artistic works can be replaced; instead, they can create classics of different times, passed down through generations.

Over the past three years, Shu has been using AI for his painting, which, according to him, is "not just to produce stunning artworks, but to transform them into an exploration of knowledge through the continuous creation process".

"Cooperation between science and art also involves making science visible, comprehensible and perceptible through artistic approaches," he added, citing the example of showcasing the future of AI by having robots perform the traditional yangko dance at this year's Spring Festival Gala.

Li Chengcai, a documentary filmmaker, echoed Shu's views by highlighting the difficulties in transforming abstract, profound and specialized knowledge into tangible and relatable aspects of daily life.

"We need to strike a balance, maintaining both the solemnity and seriousness of science, as well as the vividness and storytelling elements that are accessible to the general public," Li said, adding that this is a conflict, as some fundamental scientific principles are inherently at odds with storytelling.

In such a dilemma, the ability to explain the profound in simple terms is of great significance. This involves discovering the warmth and humanistic care within science and delivering the splendor of life and respect for nature that the creator felt to the public, he added.

"I'm a transmitter of life. If I can record the whole and explain a part, that's enough," Li said.

The event was organized by the China Science Writers Association to enrich the forms of popular science works and contribute to cultivating an innovative culture.

Contact the writers at limenghan@chinadaily.com.cn