# AI, science and the risks in China’s reliance on imported precision equipment > Source: > Published: 2026-07-10 03:00:07+00:00 # AI, science and the risks in China’s reliance on imported precision equipment The country is dependent on overseas high-end scientific instruments, crimping use of artificial intelligence, researcher says [science,](https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3359886/chinas-xi-jinping-calls-innovation-system-overhaul-beat-global-tech-rivals?module=inline&pgtype=article)according to a leading Chinese researcher. Advanced equipment such as mass spectrometers was essential for generating the high-quality experimental data needed to develop, validate and improve advanced scientific models, Weinan E, a professor at Peking University’s mathematical sciences school, said at the “AI for Science” conference in Shanghai last week. “Without domestically developed precision instruments, it becomes difficult to obtain first-hand, high-quality experimental data, leaving AI ‘like cooking without rice’,” E said, according to Shanghai-based news outlet The Paper last week. E, who is also a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, proposed the concept of “AI for Science” in 2018 as a new approach to research. [artificial intelligence](https://www.scmp.com/topics/artificial-intelligence?module=inline&pgtype=article)tools to improve scientific research, in areas ranging from improving computational modelling to experimental design. And to get the best data, researchers need the best equipment.