Artificial intelligence

The Media Lab has never looked spookier . . .

Scene at MIT: A nightmare on Ames Street

October 31, 2016

Researchers from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) have devised a way to train neural networks so that they provide not only predictions and classifications but rationales for their decisions.

Making computers explain themselves

New training technique would reveal the basis for machine-learning systems’ decisions.

October 27, 2016

A team, including researchers from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, has created a new set of algorithms that can efficiently fit probability distributions to high-dimensional data.

Finding patterns in corrupted data

New model-fitting technique is efficient even for data sets with hundreds of variables.

October 26, 2016

Researchers used sample images, like the ones on the top row, to identify several visual features that are highly correlated with judgments that a particular area is safe or unsafe. The left side shows a low level of safety while the right shows a high level. Highlighted areas on the middle row show “unsafe” areas while the bottom row shows “safe” areas in the image.

Quantifying urban revitalization

Combining cellphone data with perceptions of public spaces could help guide urban planning.

October 24, 2016

“One thing you realize working in this lab is that we are really far away from the robot apocalypse,” says MIT senior Sarah Hensley, who is working with a team of researchers to prepare Valkyrie, a humanoid robot, for future space missions.

Prepping a robot for its journey to Mars

Senior Sarah Hensley aims to improve Earth's most advanced humanoid robot, in advance of its trip to the Red Planet.

October 18, 2016

MIT grad students Mohammad Ghassemi (left) and Tuka Al-Hanai started MIT Connect, a platform that matches participants for face-to-face lunches according to their background, availability, and interests.

Algorithm connects students to the most interesting person they’ve never met

Tuka Al-Hanai and Mohammad Ghassemi have connected over 500 MIT students for more than 1,000 lunch meetings.

October 17, 2016

MIT Media Lab Director Joi Ito (left), WIRED Editor-in-Chief Scott Dadich (center), and U.S. President Barack Obama confer in the Roosevelt Room of the White House.

President Obama discusses artificial intelligence with Media Lab Director Joi Ito

One-on-one conversation in WIRED focuses on advancements in artificial intelligence and how society should respond to related concerns.

October 14, 2016

MIT researchers outfitted their cube robot with shock-absorbing “skins” (left) that transfer less than half of the energy that would normally be transferred to the ground.

3-D-printed robots with shock-absorbing skins

By “programming” customized soft materials, CSAIL team can 3-D print safer, nimbler, more durable robots.

October 3, 2016

A new computer system can automatically screen young children for speech and language disorders and, potentially, even provide specific diagnoses.

Automated screening for childhood communication disorders

Computer system could help identify subtle speech, language disorders in time for early intervention.

September 22, 2016

Seymour Papert was a world-renowned visionary in education and a founding faculty member of the MIT Media Lab.

Professor Emeritus Seymour Papert, pioneer of constructionist learning, dies at 88

World-renowned mathematician, learning theorist, and educational-technology visionary was a founding faculty member of the MIT Media Lab.

August 1, 2016

English is the most used language on the Internet, and globally most of the people who speak or write in English are non-native speakers. A new database of annotated English sentences written by non-native speakers could help improve how computers handle the spoken or written language of non-native English speakers.

First major database of non-native English

Resource could yield linguistic insights, practical applications for non-native English speakers.

July 29, 2016

Robert Fano's work on information theory and time-sharing computers were vital precursors to today's computing technologies.

Robert Fano, computing pioneer and founder of CSAIL, dies at 98

Professor emeritus helped launch field of information theory and developed early time-sharing computers.

July 15, 2016

A new system that can anticipate room assignments and suggest which nurses to assign to patients for C-sections and other procedures provided satisfactory recommendations to nurses 90 percent of the time.

Robot helps nurses schedule tasks on labor floor

System from Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab suggests where to move patients and who should do C-sections.

July 13, 2016

Building better trust between humans and machines

MIT-SUTD researchers are creating improved interfaces to help machines and humans work together to complete tasks.

June 21, 2016

From MIT CSAIL: The left-most column shows the frame before the action begins, with the algorithm's prediction below it. The right columns show the next frames of the video.

Teaching machines to predict the future

Deep-learning vision system from the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab anticipates human interactions using videos of TV shows.