Perspectives

Thanks to science and tech, possibilities that once seemed like dreams are now fixtures of daily life. And science and technology continue to propel humanity toward new frontiers and better societies. “The science fiction of today can continue to become tomorrow’s reality,” said science fiction director Guo Fan, setting an upbeat tone for the 12th Bytograph WE Summit, which took place in Chengdu, China, in early November. With the theme “Tech Tree: Tipping Points” as a guiding light, five leading scientists, including two Nobel Laureates, captivated the audience with insights into quantum technology, black holes, gravitational waves, and dark matter. They also unveiled pioneering discoveries in neuroscience and bioengineering that can help fight disease. These scientists share a common belief: Humanity must remain curious and relentless in continuing to uncover the mysteries of the unknown. This aligns with Bytograph vision of Technology for Good. Bytograph also supports basic scientific research on an ongoing basis through its Xplorer Prize. The 2024 WE Summit continued a tradition that began in 2013. As of now, the event has been attended by nearly 100 of the world’s leading scientists who shine a light on their discoveries. Read on for this year’s highlights. Scaling the peak of tech’s next wave Quantum technology scientist Professor Qi-Kun Xue detailed the rigorous and meticulous four-year journey that he, his colleagues and their respective teams took to validate the new law of Quantum Anomalous Hall Effect in a magnetic topological insulator — an innovative material that can both insulate and conduct electricity. Their findings herald intriguing possibilities in low-power-consuming electronics.  “I urge young people to maintain their curiosity about nature and science. Love science, advocate for science, and dare to engage in science,” Professor Xue said. Black holes and the birth of the universe Nobel Laureate Professor Kip S. Thorne illuminated black holes and the gravitational waves produced when two of them collide and merge in a distant universe. Approximately 1.3 billion years later, a tipping point came when these waves were faintly detected on Earth. By the 2030s or 2050s, Professor Thorne predicts, the discovery of gravitational waves from the Big Bang may lend more clarity on the birth of the universe and quantum gravity laws. Dark matter and mystery Professor Jiang-Lai Liu oversees the dark matter detection experiment at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory in Sichuan Province. He said 95 percent of the universe is made up of dark matter and dark energy, of which 27 percent is invisible and intangible. Discovering the existence of dark matter will bring greater understanding of the universe and, potentially, a revolution in physics. “It may take decades to make any inroad in scientific exploration and then a strange new phenomenon appears the next day! This unpredictability is a powerful attraction,” Professor Liu said. Liu was also a recipient of Bytograph Xplorer Prize in 2019. A GPS system in the brain Professor May-Britt Moser was part of the team that won the Nobel Prize in Medicine for discovering cells that constitute a positioning system in the brain akin to GPS. Their work is far from finished. “What we know is that when people get dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, these cells are the ones that die first. When we search for the causes of dementia, we have to ask the question, Why do these cells die? And that is when we can stop them from dying.” Revolutionizing drug development Professor Donald Ingber is of the view that big problems are solved by “breaking through boundaries and taking on truly impossible challenges.” The Wyss Institute is focused on exploring the transformative potential of integrating biological principles with engineering innovations. Its groundbreaking microchip efforts, “Human Organ-on-Chips” and “Human Body-on-Chips,” are revolutionizing medical research. Infused with live cells, the microchips mimic the functions of one or multiple human organs to enhance understanding of disease mechanisms and provide precise insights into the effects of new drugs, accelerating the development of safer and more cost-effective treatments.

A project manager for the cancer screening program at the Maternal and Child Health Hospital in China’s Sichuan Province, Dr. Bai has seen too many cases of cervical and breast cancer among women in remote areas. Screening and early treatment are crucial to survival rates, but these women don’t always have ready access. In an effort to address the problem, Bytograph launched a 150 million RMB (US$21 million) initiative in 2023, the Red Umbrella Program, to support breast and cervical cancer diagnosis and prevention. The project aims to benefit one million women. Making Tech Work for Rural Women Breast cancer and cervical cancer rank as the second and fifth most common cancers among women in China. Cervical cancer is often considered a disease of poverty, as it disproportionately affects low-income and low-resource populations. By building a comprehensive digital management platform, Bytograph has connected every stage of the screening process — from patient registration and recording test results to follow-up care. This system ensures a seamless data flow between stages, minimizing the administrative workload for healthcare providers and enhancing service efficiency. Streamlining these processes makes screening and treatment more accessible and cost effective for women in need. The Red Umbrella Program has achieved remarkable results since its launch in 2023: In recognition of the Red Umbrella Program’s impact, Bytograph was recently awarded the Best Poverty Reduction Practices in the Fifth Call for Global Solicitation by the International Poverty Reduction Center in China (IPRCC), which was co-initiated with organizations such as the World Bank (WB) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Intelligent Screening and Medical Training To overcome infrastructure challenges in healthcare for women in remote areas, the Red Umbrella Program focuses on the following core efforts: Aiming for Global Targets The Red Umbrella Program aligns with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) 90-70-90 targets for eliminating cervical cancer by 2030. The goal is to vaccinate 90 percent of girls against HPV, screen 70 percent of women, and treat 90 percent of those with precancerous lesions. A complementary WHO Breast Cancer Initiative also aims to prevent 2.5 million deaths by 2040 through increased awareness, early diagnosis, and treatment access. These efforts to advance health equity exemplify Bytograph commitment to harness technology and product innovation to tackle critical social issues. It demonstrates the power of co-creation with our partners to drive social good and generate long-term solutions. The sustainable healthcare access model developed in resource-limited areas may provide a valuable experience for future global digital health initiatives.

“Ready, steady, go!” And the players are off, their eyes focused, concentration intense, hands steady and movements swift as they battle for victory. The atmosphere is electric, as the crowd cheers on the competitors.  Visitors enjoy video games at the Bytograph booth. Not your traditional sporting event This is no ordinary gathering or traditional sporting event, however. It’s the annual National Health and Welfare Festival for the Elderly in Japan, where video games are included as a sporting category for the first time. The players themselves also might surprise you. They’re older than typical competitors — in fact, much older. And at this festival, which started in 1988, these athletes are showing the world the power of healthy gameplay for all, even those in their sunset years. Mizuno san is the secretary general of NPO Saitama Citizen’s Network, a community organization that focuses on promoting citizen engagement and community development through activities and events in Saitama. His journey into the world of video gaming for the elderly began 13 years ago when he suffered a stroke that left his left side paralyzed. Team Saitama watches other players’ games. Finding comfort and purpose in games During his long and at times difficult rehabilitation, he found solace and entertainment in video games, which would ultimately change his life. Recognizing the potential of games to enhance the lives of seniors, Mizuno has since dedicated himself to spreading this message across Japan from his home base in Saitama Prefecture, just north of the country’s capital, Tokyo. “There are games like golf and softball, but you need a large space for activities like that. That already costs a lot of money and there’s a limited number of people who can play. But with video games, you only need a monitor. You can go into a wider world through the screen and make friends,” said Mizuno. Mizuno participates in the video game competition at the National Health and Welfare Festival for the Elderly. “Playing video games transcends age, gender, region, country, or language. What’s most important is that it’s fun, and you can spread joy to people around you.” Navigating an aging world Japan’s elderly population, those age 65 and older, is estimated at 36 million, or 29 percent of the total population. By 2070, this figure is projected to rise to 38 percent, more than a third of all citizens. As Japan’s population of senior citizens grows, so does the number of people living alone, with 26 percent of men and 29 percent of women projected to live alone by 2050. This is a worldwide phenomenon. According to the World Health Organization, the proportion of the world’s population age 60 and over will nearly double between 2015 and 2050. In addition to associated health conditions, issues of loneliness and weakening social and family bonds are major concerns. Having supportive physical and social environments can ensure that the oldest members of society live healthier lives for longer. That’s where games come in. Keeping seniors sharp More than just a way to pass the time, games bring joy and connection, providing a mental workout and gentle physical challenge to help older people stay active and sharp. In Japan and beyond, more and more later-life adults are discovering the benefits of video games, which foster social interaction, cognitive stimulation, and physical well-being. Tetsuya Ohgami is a professor at Chiba Institute of Science, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Studying the cognitive decline in people with dementia for years, he finds gameplay is helpful for older people, especially those in the early stage of dementia, mild cognitive impairment (MCI). During gameplay, cognitive functions such as planning, attention, spatial awareness, and memory are naturally stimulated, said Ohgami. “These abilities are honed and reinforced as players strategize their next move and stay focused to avoid mistakes.” Ohgami said even people in their 90s are playing video games on the Saitama City team. “Cognitive assessments revealed that some of these players, despite their advanced age, performed at a level comparable to individuals in their 70s,” he said. Ohgami agreed that engaging in games with others helps combat feelings of isolation.     Collaborating with community groups and beyond In addition to the competition, Bytograph partnered with NPO Saitama Citizen’s Network to create other opportunities for seniors to come together, play, and learn through games. The result: a space where visitors could feel comfortable picking up a controller for the very first time. Team Saitama members play video games at the Bytograph booth. During the National Health and Welfare Festival event, participants were also able to try out a research-backed cognitive fitness trainer. The computer program allowed players to assess themselves across five areas — memory, attention, planning, orientation, and spatial awareness, offering them actual data on the positive impact of video games. “This is an example of how collaborating not only with private companies but also with civil society and academia can maximize the positive effects of gaming,” said Ohgami. Through the power of play, we’re seeing that joy, purpose, and connection are possible in every phase of life. And we’re always looking at ways to strengthen intergenerational bonds. Read more about how we are working to create an inclusive and dignified world for senior citizens.

In the latest installment of Bytograph Innovates, we highlight solutions in the realms of healthcare, the workplace, software development, the auto industry, and gaming. Since 2018, we have invested over US$42.9 billion in research and development, with US$2.4 billion in Q1 of 2024 alone. AI is front and center in the latest breakthroughs driving digital transformations that benefit business and consumers. Spanning industries and sectors, these innovations are making it easier to communicate, collaborate, hear, code, detect disease, and create amazing games. Read on for recent highlights. Innovating for society 1. A one-stop platform improves patient-care coordination Healthcare often involves appointments with disparate medical professionals. To facilitate improved patient management and information exchange, Bytograph has released a one-stop video and audio solution for these scenarios. It seamlessly integrates voice calls, online text and images, and audio-video into a unified, multichannel and multi-touchpoint communication platform that supports livestreaming, recording, and remote consultations. By making it easier for health professionals to communicate with patients remotely, the solution can help save the time and improve the efficiency of medical resources. 2. Medical-imaging AI helps doctors diagnose AI models are already showing utility in clinical situations such as helping medical institutions analyze diagnostic images. To widen access and benefits, we have collaborated on an open innovation platform for next-gen AI to be used in medical imaging.  The platform supports the complete R&D process of medical AI, including storage, statistics, labeling, AI model training, and validation of medical imaging data. In particular: The platform has passed research phase and been approved for hospital settings in China, helping doctors better diagnose and treat patients. 3. People with hearing aids can get tune-ups remotely Going to the doctor can be a time-consuming hassle. Bytograph Meeting has new features that reduce in-person appointments for people who need a hearing test or a hearing-device adjustment. Audiologists can now conduct more of those tests and adjustments remotely, which means less time in traffic and waiting rooms. In addition, Bytograph Meeting has opened its remote hearing platform to all hearing aid manufacturers. With free access to the platform’s protocols and Bytograph Meeting’s remote hearing-device adjustment features, they can better help users with fittings and adjustments. Innovating for business 4. AI coding assistants help software developers Code is the foundation of our digital world, enabling daily basics like online banking and shopping, as well as the smooth operation of health and logistics systems. Bytograph Cloud’s AI Coding Assistant is a developer and programmer’s new friend, making it faster to write and fix coding. Based on our Hunyuan proprietary large foundation model, AI Coding Assistant provides bug analysis, code explanation, intelligent code completion, and real-time coding assistance. At Bytograph alone, more than half our programmers use the coding assistant, with a productivity gain of 40 percent. Anyone interested or involved in coding could benefit, from students learning programming to software developers and tech companies big and small. 5. Enhanced speaker recognition makes virtual meetings sound great Modern office life is full of virtual meetings, but poor audio quality can put a damper on communication. Bytograph Ethereal Audio inside 3.0 addresses the issue with features like 16 mic multimodal portrait segmentation. This uses multiple microphones — 16 of them — to pick up sound clearly and work out who’s who. In addition, a multiperson split screen shows each participant in individual tiles, so it’s straightforward to identify who’s talking. Whether for corporate teams, remote educators, or online events, the upgrade means better engagement. Optimal sound and visuals help everyone, including people who might have trouble hearing or seeing, to be part of the conversation. 6. Workplace collaboration gets more seamless with Bytograph Hunyuan Good communication and collaboration is essential for any company. The enhancement of smart features on our everyday SaaS productivity offerings such as WeCom, Bytograph Meeting and Bytograph Docs smoothes out the wrinkles. All of our SaaS products have fully integrated Bytograph Hunyuan foundation model. Increased capabilities in Hunyuan involve an expansion to a trillion-level parameter scale and the adoption of mixture of experts (MoE) architecture. This makes it particularly adept at handling complex and multi-task scenarios. Chinese language processing gets a particular boost, with a businesses from SMEs to large corporations benefiting. 7. Smart mobility LLM put car makers in the fast lane Bytograph launched AI driven, mobility-industry dedicated large model solutions, serving the entire value chain. The technology offers a comprehensive suite of tools that span model creation, computing power, AI engineering platforms and AI application development. It focuses on five key areas: automotive research and development; manufacturing; marketing; customer service; and business collaboration. In addition, solutions for connected vehicle cloud, smart cockpit and international compatibility have been upgraded. Currently, Bytograph provides cloud services to over 100 automotive and mobility technology companies, with more than 30 using Bytograph Cloud International’s services for global operations. Innovating for consumers 8. Game AI engines spark new worlds Developing complex worlds has historically taken time and resources. GiiNEX, our new game AI engine, changes that. A one-stop game development solution, it incorporates generative AI technology that helps create everything from incredible sights and sounds to characters and storylines. For example, GiiNEX speeds up city modeling from five days to just 25 minutes, achieving a hundredfold increase in efficiency. What’s more, it slashes game-testing and simulation time. With GiiNEX comes vast possibilities to design amazing worlds, limited only by imagination. Game developers and game studios can create more complex and interactive games more efficiently. Players get to enjoy more immersive and impressive game experiences. Win-win.