Symposium on AI-Driven Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine Successfully Held in Chongqing

Date: March 19, 2025

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On March 15, 2025, the Symposium on AI-Driven Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) was successfully held in Chongqing, China. The event was organized by the Magnetic Resonance Equipment and Technology Committee of the Chinese Society of Medical Equipment, and co-hosted by the Institute of Medical Technology, Peking University Health Science Center, Peking University Third Hospital, Nanjing University, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, the Department of Medical Imaging Technology at Chongqing Medical University, the Medical Technology Development Center at Dalian Medical University, the Department of Medical Imaging at Shandong First Medical University, and the Affiliated Beijing Children's Hospital and Beijing Rehabilitation Hospital of Capital Medical University.

The symposium brought together leading experts in artificial intelligence, traditional Chinese medicine, and medical equipment, along with representatives from the Chinese Society of Medical Equipment. It aimed to promote the deep integration of AI and TCM, facilitate innovation in medical technology and equipment, and support the development of “Double First-Class” disciplines in China’s medical education system. The opening ceremony was chaired by Prof. Han Hongbin, Dean of the Institute of Medical Technology at Peking University.

Prof. Gu Ning, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Professor at Nanjing University, delivered the keynote address. He highlighted that TCM modernization has entered a fast track powered by AI technologies, and noted the growing global influence of TCM. Its unique theoretical system has proven effective across the full health spectrum—from prevention and diagnosis to treatment, rehabilitation, and wellness. Prof. Gu outlined key future directions for TCM in the new era, emphasizing the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and stating that only through broad academic exchange and cooperation can sustainable progress be achieved in the field of medical AI.

Academician Gu delivering opening speech

Prof. Han Hongbin remarked that the advancement of AI presents new expectations and opportunities for both Chinese and Western medical systems. He encouraged participating experts to use the brief presentations as a catalyst for deeper discussion and joint efforts to advance AI in healthcare in a more refined and impactful manner.

During the symposium, several leading scholars presented their research. Prof. Cao Chen from Nanjing Medical University discussed how AI and machine learning can address the complexity of TCM systems and empower their development.

Prof. Li Yi from Peking University Health Science Center proposed combining the implicit knowledge in large language models with the explicit knowledge in knowledge graphs to explore integration between TCM and Western medicine in areas such as data analysis, target recognition, and meridian research.

Prof. Zhou Zuojian from Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine reported on the school’s advancements in AI-enabled TCM and called for the use of digital and intelligent technologies to modernize TCM diagnostics, treatment, and knowledge transmission.

Prof. Zhuo Li from Beijing University of Technology addressed the current state, challenges, and future of large TCM models, praising models like Deepseek for their reasoning power and low training costs, while also acknowledging issues such as model hallucination and limited adaptability to TCM logic.

Prof. Chen Jianxin from Beijing University of Chinese Medicine introduced efforts in building integrated TCM-Western medicine databases, AI-powered target identification of traditional Chinese medicines, and exploring the scientific basis of meridian theory.

Dr. Lu Yanye, Researcher at Peking University Health Science Center, presented on the evolution of medical AI in the era of large models, focusing particularly on the Transformer architecture and its potential applications in TCM.

Experts’ presentations

Experts from institutions including the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Division of Information Science), Peking University, Fudan University, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Xidian University, Dalian Medical University, North University of China, and Dalian University of Technology also engaged in panel discussions on trends, technical challenges, and future directions in medical AI, offering valuable perspectives for the integration of AI in both Chinese and Western medicine.

In his closing remarks, Academician Gu Ning laid out the next phase of the project, stressing that the first step toward effective AI integration is to understand and interpret the TCM system itself. Only with that foundation can tools like deep learning and AI algorithms be effectively applied to TCM in a meaningful way, thus pointing a clear direction for the future of TCM modernization.

This symposium facilitated deep dialogue on the convergence of AI and traditional medicine. It laid a solid foundation for TCM informatics, while opening up new possibilities for cross-disciplinary collaboration and innovative applications. Through collective efforts, the participating institutions hope to accelerate the modernization and internationalization of TCM, and contribute to the development of China’s medical technology disciplines and talent cultivation.

Group photos