The 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference and the High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance were held in Shanghai from July 17 to 20.

During the event, Yu Zhiao, head of the newly established Materials CORE team at Xiaomi, made his debut with the team and engaged in discussions with media outlets, including Sina Tech.

Yu Zhiao holds a PhD in Chemistry from Stanford University. Following his doctoral studies, he worked on AI for Science research and development at ByteDance. He later founded a startup in Boston, USA, focused on AI for Science and battery materials. In 2026, he joined Xiaomi to form and lead the Materials CORE team, concentrating on AI-driven cutting-edge material R&D.

Key Challenges in Current AI Material Development

When discussing the decisive factor in current AI-driven material development, Yu Zhiao stated, "The true decisive point now is actually creating new, tangible materials. An AI agent might instantly suggest what to do, but at present, the execution still largely relies on human effort in labs and factory production. This is a bottleneck. Quickly closing this loop and resolving the bottleneck can significantly accelerate the entire AI for Materials cycle."

AI's Role as a Collaborative Partner

He also commented on AI's current supportive role in the materials field: "At present, AI for Materials is generally viewed as a Co-Scientist or co-pilot, an auxiliary role that helps downstream material experts iterate rapidly or helps us consider aspects that human experts might overlook."

He pointed out: "It is difficult for humans to simultaneously consider all dimensions of performance metrics. In this process, AI can help us fill those gaps, striving to create materials that are balanced across all dimensions—including cost, mass production processes, manufacturing procedures, and production—enabling unified optimization rather than being limited to a single point."

The Pursuit of Superior Material Performance

Yu Zhiao noted: "There is no upper limit to the performance requirements for materials. Everyone certainly hopes for continuous improvement, aiming not just for a 'hexagonal warrior' but for all six sides to exceed a perfect score."

"AI can continuously accelerate this process, proposing newer, more optimized materials, allowing people to truly experience improvements in product quality and performance, similar to advances like Titanium Alloy and Ultra-Strong Steel," he added.

Focus Areas for Future Materials

Regarding which materials might be focal points in the future, Yu Zhiao said: "From a product portfolio perspective, besides metallic materials, important directions include polymers, glass panels, and batteries, among others."

He stated: "For batteries, the primary concerns are safety, along with range capability and price. There is a desire for faster charging speeds and longer range experiences."