automation

Graduate student Alex Kachkine has developed a new technique that “uses AI-generated polymer films to physically restore damaged paintings in hours,” reports Benj Edwards for Ars Technica. “Kachkine's method works by printing a transparent ‘mask’ containing thousands of precisely color-matched regions that conservators can apply directly to an original artwork,” explains Edwards. “Unlike traditional restoration, which permanently alters the painting, these masks can reportedly be removed whenever needed. So it's a reversible process that does not permanently change a painting.” 

Prof. Daniela Rus, director of CSAIL, speaks with Newsweek reporter Marni Rose McFall about the impact of AI on entry level jobs. “We need a strong pipeline of talent that starts with entry-level roles, internships, and hands-on learning opportunities," says Rus. "These early experiences remain essential stepping stones, helping people build technical confidence, domain fluency, and problem-solving skills. And soon, the skills companies will be looking for in entry-level workers is how well they can make the most of AI tools."

Prof. David Autor speaks with Wired reporter Will Knight about the anticipated impact of AI on employment. “If demand for software were like demand for colonoscopies, no improvement in speed or reduction in costs would create a mad rush for the proctologist's office,” says Autor. “But if demand for software is like demand for taxi services, then we may see an Uber effect on coding: more people writing more code at lower prices, and lower wages.” 

A study by researchers at MIT explores “worker attitudes surrounding automation,” reports Sage Lazzaro for Fortune. “A lot of factories and other industrial environments have had data around for a long time and haven’t necessarily known what to do with it,” explains Research Scientist Ben Armstrong. “Now there are new algorithms and new software that’s allowing these companies to be a lot more intelligent with using that data to make work better.” 

Guardian reporter Ian Sample highlights how graduate student Alex Kachkine has developed a new approach to restoring age-damaged artwork in hours. “The technique draws on artificial intelligence and other computer tools to create a digital reconstruction of the damaged painting,” explains Sample. “This is then printed on to a transparent polymer sheet that is carefully laid over the work.” 

Graduate student Alex Kachkine speaks with Nature reporter Amanda Heidt about his work developing a new restoration method for restoring damaged artwork. The method uses “digital tools to create a ‘mask’ of pigments that can be printed and varnished onto damaged paintings,” explains Heidt. The method “reduces both the cost and time associated with art restoration and could one day give new life to many of the paintings held in institutional collections — perhaps as many as 70% — that remain hidden from public view owing to damage.” 

Nature spotlights graduate student Alex Kachkine – an engineer, art collector and art conservator – on his quest to develop a new AI-powered, art restoration method, reports Geoff Marsh for Nature. “My hope is that conservators around the planet will be able to use these techniques to restore paintings that have never been seen by the general public,” says Kachkine. “Many institutions have paintings that arrived at them a century ago, have never been shown because they are so damaged and there are no resources to restore them. And hopefully this technique means we will be able to see more of those publicly.” 

Speaking with Wall Street Journal reporter Justin Lahart, Prof. Sendhil Mullainathan makes the case that people have a choice about what kind of technology AI becomes. “People imagine that AI is going to automate things, but they don’t appreciate that automation is just one path. There’s nothing intrinsic about machine learning or AI that puts us on that path. The other path is really the path of augmentation,” says Mullainathan. “Whether we end up building things that replace us, or things that enhance our capacities, that is something that we can influence.”

Prof. David Autor speaks with Financial Times reporter Tom Davis about the impact of dataism – the belief that through gathering increasing amounts of information businesses can make the right decisions and create value - and automation in business management. “You can think of automation as a machine that takes a job’s inputs and does it for the worker,” says Autor. “[And] augmentation as a technology that increases the variety of things that people can do, the quality of things people can do, or their productivity”.

Research Scientist Eva Ponce, director of online education for the MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics, speaks with Financial Times reporter Rafe Uddin about how companies are shifting toward automation and the impact on employees. “Companies are investing more in upskilling associates… ensuring they’re ready for a new style of work,” says Pone. “More complex tasks will still need to be done by people… These technologies are disruptive. The warehouse of the future is a combination of robotics, sensors and computer vision.” 

Eva Ponce, director of online education for the MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics, speaks with Financial Times reporter Rafe Uddin about how companies are integrating automation. “Labor shortages are a persistent theme and this is another driver for this investment,” says Ponce.

Prof. Daron Acemoglu speaks with Financial Times reporter Rana Foroohar about the impact of automation on the labor market. “It’s likely that the short- to midterm gains from AI will be distributed unequally, and will benefit capital more than labor,” says Acemoglu. 

Prof. Daron Acemoglu highlights the economic and societal implications of integrating automation in the workforce, reports Taylor Nicole Rogers for The Financial Times. “Acemoglu says that robots’ current capabilities mean that those most at risk of being displaced are in blue-collar jobs and lack college degrees, which may make it difficult for them to shift into the high-tech roles likely to be created by automation,” writes Rogers. 

Prof. Armando Solar-Lezama speaks with New York Times reporter Sarah Kessler about the future of coding jobs, noting that AI systems still lack many essential skills. “When you’re talking about more foundational skills, knowing how to reason about a piece of code, knowing how to track down a bug across a large system, those are things that the current models really don’t know how to do,” says Solar-Lezama.

TSP Smart Spaces, a home automation company founded by Michael Oh '95 has been named to Boston Magazine’s Best of Boston Home 2025 list, reports Jaci Conry, Cheryl Fention, Marni Elyse Katz, Angela Athena Mats, and Stefanie Schwalb for Boston Magazine. TSP Smart Spaces uses “the ideal technology solutions while simultaneously making the user experience simple, comprehensive, and value-driven ensures even the most tech-hesitant homeowner feels automatically savvy,” they write.