AI platform for full‑cycle scientific research debuts at WAIC 2026
Scientific discovery has always been a matter of patience and chance, but with AI it is becoming a managed process. When machines handle computation and experimentation, scientists can focus on the core — the search for truth. The new platform unveiled in Shanghai promises to accelerate this quest, turning endless combinatorial explosions into dozens of well‑founded hypotheses.
On Friday, the Shusheng Duanyan platform, developed by the Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, debuted at WAIC 2026. It integrates big data models, intelligent agents, experimental data and automated equipment to manage the entire research cycle — from hypothesis to verification. Researchers have already used it for protein optimisation. In one case, from 20²¹⁹ possible combinations, the platform selected dozens of promising candidates. Robots then conduct experiments, feeding results back for iteration. "The platform is a 'superbrain' that helps scientists refocus on core questions and boosts efficiency," said Fu Xujun from the laboratory.
The platform is already applied in six fields: life sciences, materials, semiconductors, nuclear fusion, quantum mechanics and meteorology.
WAIC 2026 is being held in Shanghai from 17 to 20 July. The event features more than 1,100 enterprises and over 300 global premieres. As CCTV+ reports. The Shusheng Duanyan platform exemplifies how AI is transforming scientific methodology, shortening the path from idea to result.
