<div id="readability-page-1"><blockquote><ul><li>AI is so powerful that its capability to optimize many process parameters even surpasses the understanding of engineers.</li><li>CATL has established AI large model-driven autonomous laboratories.</li></ul></blockquote><figure id="attachment_140771"><img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://cnevpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2026051307210726.jpg?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" width="1600" height="900" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://cnevpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2026051307210726.jpg"/><figcaption id="caption-attachment-140771">(A CATL battery pack on display at the Beijing Auto Show in April 2026. Image credit: CnEVPost)</figcaption></figure><p>Wu Kai, chief scientist of CATL (HKEX: 3750), elaborated on how the battery giant is leveraging AI (artificial intelligence) to accelerate R&amp;D, as the technology reshapes nearly every industry.</p><p>AI is helping the company accelerate the R&amp;D process for next-generation battery materials, Wu said Wednesday at the opening ceremony of The 18th China International Battery Fair in Shenzhen.</p><p>AI is highly powerful, and its capability in optimizing many process parameters even surpasses the understanding of professional engineers, according to Wu.</p>    <div>        <p><span>Join us on </span>            Telegram            <span> or </span>            Google News        </p>    </div><p>Traditional battery material R&amp;D models are facing significant limitations, and the industry is undergoing an AI-led transformation from empirical trial-and-error to on-demand design, he said.</p><p>CATL utilizes AI models to pre-screen massive amounts of candidate materials in search of ideal chemical systems. The technology has slashed the time required for screening new materials by two orders of magnitude.</p><p>The company has applied AI technology to the in-depth exploration and development of various key battery materials. This covers fields including cathode coating materials, high-voltage electrolytes, and novel perovskite passivators.</p><p>In the closely watched R&amp;D of solid-state batteries, AI technology has also provided crucial support for CATL.</p><p>The company's R&amp;D team pinpointed seven target materials in just three months and improved ionic conductivity, according to Wu.</p><p>Beyond the discovery of new materials, AI is also widely used for the in-depth optimization and adjustment of complex manufacturing process parameters.</p><p>Despite significant progress, Wu noted that current AI applications remain limited to task acceleration for certain areas.</p><p>CATL's future vision is to build large model-driven, high-throughput autonomous laboratories, achieving efficiency leaps from intelligent evolutionary design to fully autonomous verification.</p><p>These highly automated laboratories can currently meet about 70% to 80% of the company's material synthesis needs, autonomously completing everything from feeding and reaction to separation, purification, and analysis, Wu said.</p><p>CATL currently holds an absolute dominant position in the global EV battery market, commanding a 40.7% global market share in the first three months of 2026, according to data from South Korean market research firm SNE Research.</p><p>In China, CATL's power battery installation volume reached 29.06 GWh in April, ranking first with a 46.64% market share, according to the China Automotive Battery Innovation Alliance (CABIA).</p>    <div>        <div>            <p><img width="768" height="432" src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://cnevpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2026050902054066-768x432.jpg?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://cnevpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2026050902054066-768x432.jpg"/>                            </p>        </div>        <div>            <p>CATL plans 40 GWh sodium battery capacity expansion after securing world's largest order</p>            <p>CATL plans to invest 5 billion yuan ($735 million) to build 40 GWh of sodium-ion battery capacity in Fujian.</p>                    </div>    </div>                                                                                    </div>

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<p>CATL's chief scientist, Wu Kai, discussed the transformative role of AI in battery R&D at The 18th China International Battery Fair. AI optimizes process parameters, surpassing engineers' understanding, and accelerates the discovery of next-generation battery materials. CATL's AI-driven labs can autonomously handle 70-80% of material synthesis, significantly reducing screening time. The company holds a 40.7% global EV battery market share and plans to expand sodium-ion battery capacity by 40 GWh with a $735 million investment.</p>

CATL chief scientist explains how AI accelerates battery R&D