The Greater Bay Area Science Forum (GSF) 2026 is taking place across Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao from October 31 to November 2. During the forum, John Michael Kosterlitz, winner of the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physics and professor at Brown University, sat down with South for an exclusive interview on widespread anxiety over AI and career choices.
Asked whether AI would take people's jobs, Kosterlitz acknowledged the inevitable: "There's no question that AI will take some jobs. But I think there will always be space for human beings." He said AI may lack human adaptability, and added: "It's these strange connections that are responsible for most of the important new ideas."
As for what young people should study today, the Nobel laureate's advice was simple: "Whatever excites a young person, they should follow that up. There's no point in recommending any particular field." In his view, young people should simply do what they truly enjoy rather than chase trends or fear the future.
On November 1, Kosterlitz delivered a keynote speech at the main forum of the 2026 GSF, talking about his personal journey and life experience.
Reporter | Xie Maishi
Cameraman | Xu Anrui
Video | Xu Anrui
Photos | Xu Anrui
Design | Lai Meiya
