[CATL's Zeng: battery 'not good enough', AI accelerating discovery]

Published: Oct 31, 2026 23:05 (GMT+8)

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At the opening forum of the 2026 World Laureates Forum on Oct 31, CATL chairman and founder Robin Zeng said existing battery energy density remains insufficient for broader applications, and the industry needs AI and global scientific talent to accelerate source innovation in electrochemistry. He described battery systems as highly complex, spanning femtosecond-to-decade timescales and multiple atomic-level dimensions, and said CATL is applying large language models to scientific discovery, drawing on 1+ trillion test data records and an in-house AI-native research system that connects wet and dry laboratories. He added that efforts so far are "not yet enough," with particular support needed from electrochemists.

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