Professor Emeritus James Harris, a scholar of Spanish language, dies at 92
The longtime professor is remembered for his influential role in MIT’s linguistics program and in the expansion of foreign language instruction at the Institute.
Your child, the sophisticated language learner
New research shows that a grasp of grammar helps even very young children figure out when they must acquire new words.
Scientists find neurons that process language on different timescales
In language-processing areas of the brain, some cell populations respond to one word, while others respond to strings of words.
MIT study explains why laws are written in an incomprehensible style
The convoluted “legalese” used in legal documents conveys a special sense of authority, and even non-lawyers have learned to wield it.
LLMs develop their own understanding of reality as their language abilities improve
In controlled experiments, MIT CSAIL researchers discover simulations of reality developing deep within LLMs, indicating an understanding of language beyond simple mimicry.
MIT researchers advance automated interpretability in AI models
MAIA is a multimodal agent that can iteratively design experiments to better understand various components of AI systems.
Reasoning skills of large language models are often overestimated
New CSAIL research highlights how LLMs excel in familiar scenarios but struggle in novel ones, questioning their true reasoning abilities versus reliance on memorization.
What is language for?
Drawing on evidence from neurobiology, cognitive science, and corpus linguistics, MIT researchers make the case that language is a tool for communication, not for thought.
Helping nonexperts build advanced generative AI models
MosaicML, co-founded by an MIT alumnus and a professor, made deep-learning models faster and more efficient. Its acquisition by Databricks broadened that mission.
Technique improves the reasoning capabilities of large language models
Combining natural language and programming, the method enables LLMs to solve numerical, analytical, and language-based tasks transparently.
Exploring the mysterious alphabet of sperm whales
MIT CSAIL and Project CETI researchers reveal complex communication patterns in sperm whales, deepening our understanding of animal language systems.
For people who speak many languages, there’s something special about their native tongue
An MIT study finds the brains of polyglots expend comparatively little effort when processing their native language.
How cognition changes before dementia hits
Study finds language-processing difficulties are an indicator — in addition to memory loss — of amnestic mild cognitive impairment.
Investigating and preserving Quechua
MIT students studied the Indigenous language during a new Independent Activities Period course to gain exposure and understand the language’s cultural and practical value.
Projects investigating Swahili, global media win SHASS Humanities Awards
The awards offer opportunities to expand research into unique areas of scholarship.