How Lei Jun’s 1992 Expert System Pioneered Virus Detection – A Forgotten AI Breakthrough

In his 2023 "Growth" themed annual speech, Lei Jun shared three personal goals he set while at Wuhan University:

Complete all university credits within two years.

Become an outstanding programmer.

Publish a paper in a first‑tier academic journal.

Against the odds, Lei Jun achieved the third goal. In August 1992 his paper titled "Principles and Design of a Computer Virus Identification Expert System" was formally published in the authoritative journal Computer Research and Development .

The paper details the principles and specific design methods of a computer‑virus identification expert system, addressing the problem of detecting prevalent viruses. It is organized into five sections: Introduction; Basic Principles of the Virus Identification Expert System; Design Methods; New Virus Model and Identification Strategy; and Conclusion.

In the conclusion, Lei Jun emphasizes the practical value of the expert system for solving virus identification problems, noting that the intelligent method described "significantly outperforms traditional detection methods, offering higher accuracy, broader applicability, and the ability to evolve and expand," a claim that was not found in existing domestic or international literature at the time.

Thirty years later, the full text of Lei Jun’s paper resurfaced online, prompting netizens to praise its forward‑thinking ideas. Huawei Consumer BG Strategy Marketing Vice President Li Changzhu also shared the paper, stating that "technological innovation and frontier exploration are both worthy of respect and study."