On March 26th, the high-level forum titled "AI Empowerment: Where Should Foreign Language Studies Go?" was successfully held by the SHNU School of Foreign Languages and SHNU National Key Discipline of Comparative Literature and World Literature. Over twenty experts and scholars from research institutions and universities, including the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Nanjing University, Renmin University of China, East China Normal University, Shandong University, Sichuan University, Southeast University, South China University of Technology, Hunan Normal University, Central China Normal University, Beijing Foreign Studies University, Shanghai International Studies University, Sichuan International Studies University, Dalian University of Foreign Languages, and Hangzhou Normal University, gathered to explore the opportunities and challenges AI brings to foreign language studies and seek new pathways for the development of the discipline in the AI era.
In his opening speech, President Chen Heng points out that the discipline of foreign languages is facing dual impacts from the international environment and AI, which presents both opportunities and challenges. The discipline must strengthen collaboration, uphold humanistic traditions, and jointly promote high-quality development. Professor Liu Jianjun from Shanghai Jiao Tong University noted that the relationship between artificial intelligence and humans has shifted fromopposition and subordination to a state of "co-coordination." Professor Wang Qilong from Southeast University refuted the "uselessness of foreign languages," emphasizing their irreplaceable role in open communication. Professor Shang Biwu from Shanghai Jiao Tong University argued that the discipline of foreign languages should serve national strategies and leverage linguistic strengths to advance AI development. Vice President Professor Li Ye expressed gratitude for the guidance of the attending experts and scholars at the closing ceremony, stating that the discipline of foreign languages should transcend AI tool thinking and enhance core competencies.
The forum clarified the direction of foreign language disciplines in the AI era, providing crucial insights for subsequent academic construction.
