Artificial intelligence (AI) is now redefining scientific discovery methodologies and research community organization patterns. Under UNESCO's International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (IDSSD) framework, AI has evolved into a key driver of this vision, injecting new impetus into fundamental scientific breakthroughs. This also helps address global challenges and foster a sustainable future.

The Artificial Intelligence and the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development Forum, jointly hosted by Hangzhou Municipal People's Government and Zhejiang Lab (ZJ Lab), kicked off on September 24, 2025 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. Over 200 experts and scholars from international organizations, research institutions, universities, and enterprises attended the event and held discussions about "AI + Science" integration, co-charting a vision for future science.

The event opened with remarks by WANG Jian, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) and President of ZJ Lab. He highlighted that AI serves as a tool for "Tech for Social Good", which can synergize with the IDSSD initiative to enhance scientific research and advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Quoting Alan Turing's analogy from a public lecture that "a man provided with paper, pencil, and eraser, and subject to strict discipline, is in effect a universal machine," WANG Jian further noted that "AI functions as an extension of paper and pencil, empowering human creativity to tackle global challenges."

Lidia Brito, Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences at UNESCO, stated in her speech that AI is transforming our thinking and information acquisition, accelerating cycles of scientific discovery, and empowering humanity to tackle challenges. She outlined UNESCO's efforts to make AI more inclusive under the IDSSD framework, including the Open Science Initiative. She urged stakeholders to capitalize on this opportunity by fostering open AI innovation resources sharing and advancing both fundamental and applied sciences, thereby contributing to the well-being of humanity and our planet.

In the Invited Keynote Speech on IDSSD session, HU Shaofeng, Director of the Division of Science Policy and Basic Sciences in UNESCO's Natural Sciences Sector, comprehensively outlined the IDSSD initiative's development history, overall objectives, anticipated outcomes and governance framework. He presented IDSSD programs, projects and activities, while extending invitations for broader collaboration to maximize science's role in driving our steps towards SDGs.

Young scientists gathered here and discussed how AI can enable breakthroughs in frontier fields such as astronomy, life sciences, materials science, and addressing "four extremes" of research (i.e. "scientific research is expanding towards the extremely macroscopic level, deepening towards the extremely microscopic level, moving towards extreme conditions, and progressing towards extremely synthesized and cross-disciplinary efforts"), driving deep changes in research paradigms.The Global Open Transient Telescope Array (GOTTA) project, led by the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC) and ZJ Lab, was recently included in the first programs endorsed by UNESCO's IDSSD initiative. The first half of the academic session focused on "AI-Empowered Astronomy and GOTTA". ZOU Hu, a research fellow at NAOC, introduced the GOTTA project, envisioning AI's role in real-time processing of large amounts of time-domain astronomical data and scientific discoveries. HU Yize, a research fellow at NAOC, presented the concept of embodied intelligent telescope, exploring deep integration of AI with astronomical instruments. HUANG Yang, Associate Professor at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, systematically elaborated GOTTA's pathway from big data to major scientific breakthroughs. LIU Hongbang, a professor at Guangxi University, discussed gamma-ray burst (GRB) polarization, featuring real-time detection and intelligent analysis based on Three-Body Computing Constellation. Thomas Bisbas, a senior research expert at ZJ Lab's Research Center for Astronomical Computing, demonstrated AI's potential in parsing complex molecular spectral lines in astrochemistry.

The second half session focused on "AI-Driven Approaches to Four Extremes". LI Zhengyang, a research fellow at Nanjing Institute of Astronomical Optics & Technology, CAS and Chief Engineer at South Pole Astronomical Observatory, discussed how AI is powering astronomical observations under extreme human-inaccessible conditions. FAN Zhou, an (associate professor ranking) research fellow at NAOC's Xinglong Observatory, analyzed the prospects of AI application in dark-sky preservation and star sky monitoring based on the GOTTA project. YUAN Wenping, BOYA Distinguished Professor at Peking University's Institute of Carbon Neutrality, presented the significance and methods of applying AI to food security assessment. LIU Shiping, Chief Scientist at BGI Research, shared AI advancements in genomics and brain science. Anna Stepashkina, a research expert at ZJ Lab's Research Center for New Materials Computing, demonstrated generative AI's efficacy in accelerating new materials R&D.

This forum also featured ZJ Lab's launch of the AI Science Frontier Challenge Initiative and the Olive Leaf Initiative.

XUE Guirong, Chief Engineer of Scientific Models at ZJ Lab, systematically outlined the approach to building scientific models, while presenting ZJ Lab's practical explorations in developing the 021 Science Foundation Model and the AI Science Frontier Challenge Initiative. This initiative invites global submissions of scientifically significant problems solvable through AI methods, aiming to foster deep integration between AI and fundamental sciences and push the boundaries of scientific exploration. Open to researchers, institutions and the public worldwide, it plans to announce the first batch of award-winning problems at the "2050 Conference" in April 2026, with interim results released by year-end.

LI Chao, Chief Engineer of Three-Body Computing Constellation at ZJ Lab, delivered a three-body computing constellation-featured talk and introduced the Olive Leaf Initiative. Launched by ZJ Lab and partners including Hongqing Technology, Xiong An Science Park, and Ant Research, the initiative leverages the open-sharing advantages of three-body computing constellation as a space computing infrastructure to practice open science, revolutionize space research paradigms, and drive technological advancements in and universal access to AI. ZJ Lab and partners will deploy 1-2 computing satellites every year as carriers to implement the Olive Leaf Initiative and provide support for testing space science payloads and verifying intelligent applications in space. This program invites global submissions for payload integration and application verification through open access to innovation resources such as space computing and data, bolstering open science development.

AI is not simply a revolution in technological tools; it is a tool to revolutionize scientific fields. ZJ Lab is committed to driving deep integration of "AI + Science" and AI + Global Collaboration and building open innovation ecosystems to provide strong momentum for addressing global challenges and achieving SDGs.