Photo: ZCG Forum

 
TheMK sport "The Future of the Internet Forum," a parallel session of the 2025 ZGC Forum Annual Conference, convened in Beijing on March 29. The event, hosted by the Beijing Association for Science and Technology (BAST) and China United Network Communications Group, focused on the technological integration and industrial transformation in the intelligent era. It brought together around 180 participants, including government officials, academicians, and international experts.

The forum opened with a special fusion of technology and humanities. Li Deren, an academician of both the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), and Quarraisha Abdool Karim, President of the World Science Academy, delivered video addresses urging persistent exploration of scientific frontiers. 

An AI-powered "Qian Xuesen digital persona" appeared, vividly interpreting how his "Grand Wisdom" philosophy continues to inspire contemporary innovation. Taikonaut Chen Quan emphasized that "scientific spirit and patriotism drive aerospace advancement and technological innovation." 

Photo: ZCG Forum

 
During keynote presentations, Wu Hequan, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Engineering, analyzed how AI will profoundly reshape internet architecture. He projected that AI will propel the internet toward intelligence and self-adaptation, transforming core operations across industrial, medical, and educational sectors. 

Whitfield Diffie, a pioneer of modern cryptography and 2015 Turing Award recipient, delivered a speech on "AI Empowering the Future Internet," highlighting security challenges in internet globalization and proposing solutions.

The forum featured presentations from distinguished experts including Internet Research Task Force Chair Dirk Kutscher, Zheng Fang from Tsinghua University, Ludo Cuypers from Belgium's Leuven University, European Academy of Sciences member Zhang Daqing, and ASEAN Academy of Engineering and Technology fellow Tan Chee Fai.
 
Their discussions spanned distributed machine learning, voice technology applications, smart city sensing networks, 6G technology impacts, bridging digital divides in developing countries, and internet technology integration. Speakers emphasized that efficiency improvements must align with ethical considerations, while global collaboration remains essential for addressing digital inequality.

The forum witnessed several significant launches, including specialized policies for virtual reality industry development, the "2025 China XR Enterprise TOP100 List" selection process, and China Unicom's AI and 5G-A technology fusion "Unicom Cloud Smart Phone." 

Through its multidimensional approach linking spiritual heritage, technological foresight, industrial implementation, and global cooperation, the forum injected fresh momentum into high-quality internet industry development. The BAST continues to leverage its organizational advantages to build an open, inclusive innovation ecosystem supporting Beijing's growth as an international science and technology innovation center.