On April 25, the Shanghai Forum 2025 hosted the sub-forum “Financial Technology, Digital Intelligence and Health” at the Shanghai International Convention Center. Experts across finance, healthcare, and computer science gathered to explore how AI is merging with financial systems and pharmaceutical innovation. Conversations delved into predictive analytics, blockchain integration, regulatory hurdles, and the growing role of AI in personalized medicine and drug discovery.
ZHOU Aoying of East China Normal University’s School of Data Science and Engineering traced AI’s journey from data accumulation to a force reshaping scientific thinking. He emphasized the idea of “intelligent automation,” arguing that while AI thrives on empiricism, it lacks stability, making it unexplainable. To address this, Zhou called for a return to rationalism—letting technology drive science and vice versa. He likened data to electricity in the digital age, suggesting data professionals are building the “power grid” of tomorrow, with AI as the engine powering it.
Zhou described digital transformation as a revolution in production relations, blending internet logic with data-driven thinking. True integration of the internet and industry, he said, goes beyond simple overlap—it must create paradigm-shifting chemical reactions.
He pointed to smart finance as the future, noting that simply copying foreign tech models like ABCDE (AI, Blockchain, Cloud, Big Data, Edge Computing) isn’t enough for China. Instead, Zhou emphasized that data itself—raw, powerful, and transformative—is the key. The move from Internet+ to AI+ marks a natural evolution, with data laying the groundwork for automation. He closed with a thought-provoking message: “To understand data, one must unite knowledge and action.”
HAN Weiwen, a Partner at Bain & Company and former President of Greater China, spotlighted AI’s ability to enhance healthcare productivity. From real-world examples, he outlined how AI is revolutionizing patient interactions and streamlining operations—from R&D to logistics to clinical care.
“Chatbots are leading the way in patient interaction,” Han explained. “But AI also boosts efficiency behind the scenes, improving how healthcare workers perform and raising the quality of clinical outcomes.” He believes human-machine collaboration is the future, as AI cannot yet replace the human touch. “With AI, store staff gain diagnostic support and professionalism is elevated,” he added.
He also shared how large models and databases are transforming pharmaceutical retail, helping businesses pinpoint top-selling brands and fast-growing products through web scraping.
JIANG Yizhou, Vice President of Fudan University’s Shanghai Cancer Center, brought a clinical perspective, showing how AI and big data have transformed breast cancer research. Where once hypotheses lit the path forward, digital intelligence now reveals the full road ahead—allowing researchers to see molecular variations across many layers. The research team has made strides in precision medicine, particularly in identifying key molecules linked to treatment resistance and tumor growth. With AI, they developed “the Fudan Subtype” classification for triple-negative breast cancer, using imaging and patient data to visualize diagnoses quickly and accurately.
A roundtable discussion followed, focusing on intelligent healthcare ecosystems and AI-driven sci-tech finance. FENG Rui of Fudan University discussed how poor data quality and weak integration challenge medical-engineering fusion. Professor FU Wei noted that AI’s protein predictions don’t yet reflect real-world drug interactions—warning against commercialization hype. Meanwhile, LIU Lei showcased how AI aids in diagnosing rare diseases, complementing traditional clinical methods. Breakthroughs like JIA Fumin’s brain-spine interface and cognitive exploration by Liu, and Zhou Qi’s “gold-panning” metaphor for data governance, illustrated the tension between automation and expert oversight.
In fintech, leaders like FU Yina of East West Bank introduced hybrid funding models, while HUANG Wei of Guotai Haitong Securities discussed advanced risk control. YANG Wanqiang described how insurance tech is evolving from simple tools into full ecosystems. WU Jie reflected on digital finance’s enduring core values, raising the central question: How do we redefine value in an intelligent age?
Ultimately, as healthcare and finance undergo AI-driven revolutions, one message echoed throughout: progress in technology must align with human values. To move forward meaningfully, we must bridge the gap between innovation and shared understanding of what truly matters.
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Writer: HU Jinqi
Proofreader: WANG Jingyang
Editor: WANG Mengqi, LI Yijie
