AI points to the future of Earth’s civilization: Chinese science fiction writer Liu Cixin - Global Times

Good Chinese works more likely to be seen amid growing world interest

Liu Cixin speaks to journalists on September 18, 2025 in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, ahead of the Galaxy Science Fiction Convention. Photo: Lu Wenao/Global TimesChinese science fiction writer Liu Cixin said artificial intelligence (AI) may carry Earth's civilization beyond humanity, even if that future does not belong to humans, as he marked 20 years since The Three-Body Problem began serialization. Liu, speaking to the People's Daily on the sidelines of the 37th Galaxy Awards in Zigong, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, said humans have ceilings in intelligence and strength, and that evolution prepared them for the Earth, not the universe. "AI points to the future of Earth's civilization. That future may not belong to humans, but it is still meaningful," he said. The interview also reignited discussions on Chinese social media about when China's next The Three-Body Problem will appear, a question about how a Chinese literary creation can grow from a text into broad influence and how Chinese imagination can reach global audiences.