Prof. Dylan Hadfield-Menell speaks with CNN reporter Hadas Gold about the need for AI safeguards and increased education on large language models. “The way these systems are trained is that they are trained in order to give responses that people judge to be good,” explains Hadfield-Menell.
Prof. David Autor speaks with David Pogue of CBS Sunday Morning about how AI is impacting the labor market, in particular opportunities for entry-level job seekers. “My view is there is great potential and great risk,” Autor explains. “I think that it's not nearly as imminent in either direction as most people think." On the impacts for young job seekers, Autor emphasizes that “this is really a concern. Judgment, expertise, it's acquired slowly. It's possible that we could strip out so much of the supporting work, that people never get the expertise. I don't think it's an insurmountable concern. But we shouldn't take for granted that it will solve itself."
Prof. Andrew Lo speaks with Wall Street Journal reporter Cheryl Winokur Munk about how AI tools could be used to help people with financial planning. Winokur Munk writes that Lo recommends providing “just enough information to get relevant answers. And leave out highly personal details like your name, address, salary, employer or specific assets…as such details put people at risk should the AI be compromised.” Lo also advises “trying several AI platforms,” writes Winokur Munk. And “the advice should be run by a professional, trusted family or friends. Be a bit skeptical and double-check with humans.”
Prof. Marzyeh Ghassemi speaks with Boston Globe reporter Hiawatha Bray about her work uncovering issues with bias and trustworthiness in medical AI systems. “I love developing AI systems,” says Ghassemi. “I’m a professor at MIT for a reason. But it’s clear to me that naive deployments of these systems, that do not recognize the baggage that human data comes with, will lead to harm.”
Prof. Daniela Rus, director of CSAIL and “one of the world’s foremost thinkers on the intersection of machines and artificial intelligence,” shares her views on the promise of embodied intelligence, which would allow machines to adapt in real-time; the development of AI agents; and how the US can lead on the development of AI technologies with Aaron Mak of Politico. “The U.S. government has invested in energy grids, railroads and the internet. In the AI age, it must treat high-performance compute, data stewardship and model evaluation pipelines as public infrastructure as well,” Rus explains.
Researchers at MIT have “developed an antenna that can adjust its frequency range by physically changing in its shape” reports Mrigakshi Dixit for Interesting Engineering. “Instead of standard, rigid metal, this antenna is made from metamaterials — special engineered materials whose properties are based on their geometric structure,” explains Dixit. “It could be suitable for applications like transferring energy to wearable devices, tracking motion for augmented reality, and enabling wireless communication.”
Prof. Daniela Rus, director of CSAIL, speaks with CBS News reporter Tony Dokoupil about her work developing AI-powered robots. “AI and robots are tools,” says Rus. “They are tools created by the people, for the people. And like any other tools they’re not inherently good or bad; they are what we choose to do with them. And I believe we can choose to do extraordinary things.”
Prof. Philip Isola speaks with Fast Company reporter Victor Dey about the impact and use of agentic AI. “In some domains we truly have automatic verification that we can trust, like theorem proving in formal systems. In other domains, human judgment is still crucial,” says Isola. “If we use an AI as the critic for self-improvement, and if the AI is wrong, the system could go off the rails.”
Writing for Fast Company, Rizwan Virk '92 explains the findings of his new book, “The Simulation Hypothesis.” The book explores the mysteries of quantum weirdness, “the strange nature of time and space, information theory & digital physics, spiritual/religious arguments, and even an information-based way to explain glitches in the matrix,” writes Virk.
Bloomberg reporter F. D. Flam spotlights postdoctoral associate Pat Pataranutaporn and his research exploring how AI technologies and chatbots can impact human memories. “This latest research should spur more discussion of the effects of technology on our grasp of reality, which can go beyond merely spreading misinformation,” writes Flam. “Social media algorithms also encourage people to embrace fringe ideas and conspiracy theories by creating the false impression of popularity and influence.”
Prof. Regina Barzilay speaks with Newsweek reporter Alexis Kayser about how new AI tools are implemented in health care settings. “You need to know how to safely bring it into the [health care] system," says Barzilay. "There is a new science, which is the science of implementation."
Researchers at MIT have developed a new tool, called Meschers, that allows users to create detailed computer representations of mathematically impossible objects, reports Gayoung Lee for Gizmodo. “In addition to creating aesthetically quirky objects,” Lee explains, “Meschers could eventually assist in research across geometry, thermodynamics, and even art and architecture."
Writing for Physics Today, Prof. Camilla Cattania and her colleagues highlight the impact of big data and AI advancements in improving the reliability of earthquake forecasting and prediction. “Advances in technology and data analysis, particularly the incorporation of AI techniques, are driving the development of more-sophisticated forecasting models,” they write. “Advances in sensor technology and the expansion of dense seismic networks are providing new insight into the dynamics of Earth’s crust. That wealth of data enables the creation of more detailed and nuanced forecasting models that better capture the complexities of earthquake processes.”
Writing for Forbes, Joseph Coughlin, director of the MIT AgeLab, explores the role of technology in the lives of retirees. “The AgeTech revolution is real. The technology that is coming is astonishing. But it risks stalling not because the tech isn’t good, but because no one is there to plug it in, literally and figuratively,” writes Coughlin. “Because in retirement living, the real innovation isn’t a gadget or form of artificial intelligence. The next big thing is trusted, human-centered service.”
Researchers at MIT have uncovered a variety of obstacles of AI in software development, reports Rob Wile for NBC News. They have found “the main obstacles come when AI programs are asked to develop code at scale, or with more complex logic,” writes Wile.