Core Insights - The 27th China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) annual meeting has released significant scientific and engineering challenges for 2025, marking the eighth year of this initiative [1] - This year, the selection process for major issues has shifted from collecting problems through various societies to nominations by scientists, emphasizing a more strategic approach [1] Group 1: Key Scientific Issues - The ten major scientific issues include a focus on "new theories and protective systems for AI security from a cryptographic perspective," highlighting the growing importance of security in AI development [2] - Cryptography is proposed as a means to create verifiable security measures for AI-generated content, addressing concerns over authenticity and privacy [2] Group 2: Engineering and Technical Challenges - One of the engineering challenges is the development of a "smart network technology system for communication and intelligence integration," which aims to reduce resource consumption in communication systems [3] - The establishment of a data-driven new drug development system is highlighted, potentially shortening the drug development timeline from over 10 years to 3-7 years, enhancing China's capabilities in precision medicine [3] - The challenge of "next-generation low-energy, low-cost carbon capture and storage technology" aims to support low-carbon utilization of fossil fuels, targeting reductions in CO2 emissions from power plants and industrial sources [3] Group 3: Strategic Focus - The initiative aims to align with national strategic needs, encouraging researchers to focus on original and leading-edge solutions to bolster high-quality technological development [4]