On the afternoon of May 14, 2026, at the invitation of the National Key Discipline of Modern and Contemporary Chinese Literature at Nanjing Normal University, Professor He Zhongming from the School of Liberal Arts, Jinan University, visited our school and delivered an academic lecture entitled Dilemmas and Breakthroughs in the Study of Modern and Contemporary Chinese Literature in the Intelligent Era. The lecture was hosted by Professor He Ping as academic chair, Professor Liu Zhiquan gave the academic summary, and all master’s and doctoral students majoring in Modern and Contemporary Chinese Literature attended the lecture.

First, Professor He Zhongming reviewed his academic growth. Drawing on years of teaching and research experience, he pointed out three practical dilemmas facing the study of modern and contemporary Chinese literature in the intelligent era. First, technological worship and over-reliance on AI. At present, technocratic thinking has fully penetrated creation and research. Young scholars rely excessively on AI to collect materials and write papers, leading to the lack of original ideas and vague academic individuality, even resulting in academic ethical crises that seriously undermine academic integrity and research quality. Second, traditional high-quality research methods have been impacted. Databases and intelligent retrieval have greatly simplified historical data collection, while basic training such as traditional manual textual research and close reading has been seriously neglected. Young scholars’ core literary research capabilities—including aesthetic analysis and spiritual interpretation oriented to the literary ontology—have been continuously weakened. Third, young scholars have a vague understanding of literary value, and the disciplinary significance is questioned. Literary research has increasingly fallen into the overall dilemma of “valuing tools over spirit” and “valuing technology over humanities”. With the gradual marginalization of humanistic spirit, young students doubt the value and significance of literary research and their enthusiasm for learning has declined.

Second, in response to the multiple impacts brought by intelligence, Professor He Zhongming put forward three paths for breakthroughs to set the direction for the study of modern and contemporary Chinese literature. First, uphold faith in literature and reshape academic confidence. In an era of technological supremacy, it is even more necessary to promote humanistic spirit and recognize the mission of literary research to guard the mind and carry values. Researchers should regain their sincere love for literature and resist alienation by technology with firm recognition of literary values. Second, construct an independent view of literature and adhere to research standpoints. Professor He Zhongming emphasized that “comprehensive mediocrity is inferior to one-sided profundity”, calling on young students to gradually establish stable academic standpoints, return to the text, and form in-depth and individualized academic judgments. Third, make good use of intelligent tools and uphold original creativity. Professor He Zhongming stressed that we should view AI dialectically as a tool, take full advantage of technical conveniences in the intelligent era, and always adhere to in-depth reading, independent thinking and repeated argumentation. Relying on personal life experience, aesthetic perception and ideological creation, we should build core competitiveness that cannot be replaced by artificial intelligence.

Finally, Professor Liu Zhiquan delivered an academic summary. He pointed out that this lecture was not only a cutting-edge academic discussion, but also a spiritual inheritance of the academic tradition of modern Chinese literature at Nanjing Normal University. He noted that with the academic attitude of “A master of strategy never makes flashy moves”, Professor He Zhongming emphasized that literary research requires diligent effort and true commitment. We should adhere to humanistic standpoints, temper independent thinking and deeply explore the literary ontology amid the tide of intelligence. This lecture profoundly responded to the questions of the times, pointed out the academic direction for young scholars, and inspired everyone to keep the original aspiration of literature in the technological era.