(Yicai Global) Jan. 25 -- China’s Baidu expects the core technologies of artificial intelligence will continue to break through this year, achieving integrated and innovative development in many fields, including basic discipline research, life and health, space exploration and human-computer interaction.

Baidu Research today released its predictions for the top 10 tech trends of 2022, noting that research on AI models will change from improving the scale of parameters to application in practice. This will lower the application threshold to achieve widespread use in the internet, smart offices, and smart finance.

The scientific paradigm of AI for Science is emerging, which is expected to promote the deep integration of “data-driven” and “theoretical deduction.” AI will be further integrated with mathematics, physics, chemistry, materials science, engineering, to play a bigger role in advancing basic science in the years to come, Baidu noted.

AI can enable gene editing to target more accurately and has made significant breakthroughs in protein structure prediction in the life and health field, it added. AI and mRNA technologies are likely to further integrate with the success of mRNA Covid-19 vaccines to greatly shorten the drug development cycle and slash research and development costs.

In space exploration, AI algorithms will enable probes to make their own decisions, and independently avoid obstacles and work mechanical arms. AI technologies are expected to play a key supporting role in detecting faults and repairing spacecraft, building simulation labs, as well as collecting and analyzing Big Data on space, according to Baidu.

Human-computer interaction will also develop more rapidly, Baidu Research forecast.

With the faster integration and innovation of AI related to vision, speech, and natural language processing, as well as the maturity of software and hardware support systems, more virtual-real combination and smart interactive products for industry and consumers will emerge. That will promote the deep integration of the digital and real economies.

AI’s future development will also focus more on social values. Under the policy guidance, ‘green AI’ and ‘inclusive AI’ will emerge, the energy consumption of AI model training and AI chips will drop, and AI tech will further meet the needs of small and mid-sized businesses as well as socially vulnerable groups, Baidu said.

Editor: Peter Thomas