The Second International Conference on AI Scientists (ICAIS 2026) opened on October 17 in Beijing, bringing together Nobel and Turing laureates, academicians, young researchers, and youth science representatives. Coinciding with the 70th anniversary of the Dartmouth Conference, widely regarded as the founding moment of artificial intelligence as a field, the conference is themed “Tracing AI's Origins, Advancing Scientific Discovery.”

Tie-Yan Liu, president of the Zhongguancun Academy and chairman of the Zhongguancun Institute of Artificial Intelligence, serves as the conference chair and delivered the welcome address. He noted that over the seven decades since the Dartmouth Conference, AI's development has demanded not only new algorithms and technologies but also new research paradigms and models of human-machine collaboration. He announced three core initiatives for ICAIS 2026: the launch of a Joint Research Center for Major Human Challenges, aimed at applying AI to global scientific problems; a platform connecting early-career researchers directly with Nobel and Turing laureates; and an international AI scientist community building a cross-border, open collaboration network.

The opening day featured keynote addresses from Michael Levitt, 2013 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry; Raj Reddy, 1994 Turing Award Laureate; Jack Dongarra, 2021 Turing Award Laureate; MiguelA. Nicolelis, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Neurobiology at Duke University and a pioneer in brain-computer interface research; Zuo-jun Max Shen, Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; Liu Yunhao, Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chair Professor at Tsinghua University; and James Evans, Professor of Sociology at the University of Chicago and Director of the Knowledge Lab.

A roundtable discussion, “Honoring 70 Years of Dartmouth: The Next Frontier of Intelligence,” was moderated by Tie-Yan Liu and featured Levitt, Dongarra, Ma Xiao of the University of Science and Technology of China, and He Jiyan, a mentor at the Zhongguancun Academy. The session opened with an “AI Museum” segment in which participants traced the field's evolution through defining moments in their own careers. It also included a “generational dialogue” in which young researchers posed questions to senior scholars, and concluded with a “2036 Time Capsule," testable scientific predictions archived for review at the Dartmouth Conference's 80th anniversary.

Exchange between scientists and young people was also built into the programme. A roundtable session held titled “Two Generations, Dual Journey: Retrospect and AI Research” brought young people aspiring to careers in science together with Nobel and Turing laureates, giving the next generation a direct setting in which to question the scientists whose work they hope to follow.

The conference formally announced that ICAIS 2026 is part of the 2026 Zhongguancun Forum series, integrating the event into China's national platform for science and technology exchange. It also launched the International AI Scientist Community, initiated by youth AI research representatives, designed as an open network connecting scientific exploration, youth development, industry practice, and global exchange.

ICAIS 2026 will continue through October 17. A series of “North Latitude Nobel Dialogue” sessions will follow, the first focusing on “From Brain-Computer Interfaces to Human-Machine Symbiosis” with Miguel A. Nicolelis. The conference also includes AI paper tracks and, for the first time, a youth scientist track.

This event is jointly hosted by the Zhongguancun Academy, the Zhongguancun Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Tsinghua University, and Westlake University, with the University of Chicago as co-organizer.