➤ This week's guest on Crossing is Lei Li, a post-training researcher on Xiaomi's MiMo large model and a PhD candidate at The University of Hong Kong. Like many of his peers, he finds himself navigating both the immense opportunities and the breakneck pace that AI has unleashed — exhilarated and anxious in equal measure.
The theme of this episode: In the age of AI, how do you get a PhD that actually pays off?
We tackle ten critical questions along the PhD journey: slow research or fast research? How do you choose your school and advisor? How do you decide between mainland China, Hong Kong, or the United States? How do you land research opportunities and internships? After publishing a paper, how do you use open-source and social media to get your work seen and make real impact? And if you can already join an AI lab straight out of undergrad, is a PhD still worth it?
We also get into the "big fan theory" making the rounds in PhD circles: having more Xiaohongshu followers than paper citations. Behind the quip lies a real shift in how research gets disseminated.
Finally, we touch on recently buzzworthy topics including RSI, data commerce, and benchmark design.
If you're preparing to start a PhD, or feeling anxious about research, graduation, and job hunting, we hope this conversation helps you figure out: what's worth investing in next, and where to begin.
🎬 Our video podcast will be released simultaneously on Koji's WeChat Channels, Douyin, Xiaohongshu, Bilibili, YouTube, and other platforms.
📒 The transcript will be published on the Crossing WeChat official account.
🟢 Lightning Round00:23 Lightning round: age, alma mater, MBTI, zodiac sign
02:29 From Peking University to HKU: an EMNLP Best Paper start
🟢 Ten Critical Questions on the PhD Journey03:28 In the AI era, how do you get a PhD that pays off?
08:07 AI papers are flooding the zone — what happens to top conferences?
12:16 The "big fan theory": Xiaohongshu followers > paper citations
16:50 What are the hurdles from PhD admission to graduation?
20:08 No papers, no internships — how do you cold-start a PhD?
25:28 School or advisor: which matters more?
28:12 Slow research or fast research?
31:08 Mainland China, Hong Kong, or the US: where to do your PhD?
35:27 When your advisor starts a company, what does the PhD student get?
36:52 If you can join an AI lab as an undergrad, do you still need a PhD?
🟢 Hot Topics39:58 Why did Xiaomi MiMo livestream its post-training?
42:03 Can data companies' high valuations last?
46:00 RSI: Can AI train itself?
47:46 Video-MME: How do you build a benchmark with real impact?
🟢 Choices in the Age of AI49:00 Is CS still worth studying in the AI era? What does declining major interest mean?
50:20 Major advice for high school seniors
51:24 Final advice for PhD students: eat your meals, get your sleep
Subscribe to Crossing: 🚦 We track the industry shifts and new entrepreneurial opportunities brought by the new wave of AI technology.
🚦 Crossing is Steve Jobs' metaphor for Apple — standing at the intersection of technology and liberal arts, where great products are born. AI is transforming every industry. We seek out, interview, and bring together a new generation of AI founders and proactive builders in the AI era. Together, we explore and embrace the changes and new possibilities.
👦🏻 Host Koji: I founded Crossing and started AI Hacker House, a community space for the new generation of AI entrepreneurs. I serve as Venture Partner at ZhenFund. I believe technology, especially AI, represents the greatest value-creation opportunity of our generation. Koji on Jike | Koji's website
View episode transcript on Xiaoyuzhou