WGBH’s Kirk Carapezza reports from the launch of the new MIT Stephen Schwarzman College of Computing on how the new college is indicative of a shift in higher education towards more technical fields. “They can choose the major which is their passion and be confident they’re going to gain the skills that are necessary to advance that passion,” explains Provost Martin Schmidt.
Anne Mostue reports for Bloomberg Baystate Business on the launch event for the new MIT Stephen A. Schwarzman College of Computing. Eric Schmidt, former executive chairman of Alphabet, noted that the new college will be able to achieve something that has not been possible before, namely to “aggressively diffuse this new technology into fields which need it, but can’t get it on their own.”
VentureBeat reporter Kyle Wiggers highlights a panel discussion focusing on AI and entrepreneurship held during an event for the new MIT Schwarzman College of Computing. “We know that entrepreneurs drive the economy,” said Eric Schmidt, former executive chairman of Alphabet. “What do you need to have [AI] companies? You need entrepreneurs. And let me tell you: we need more entrepreneurs.”
Bloomberg News reporter Amanda Gordon writes about the three-day event for the new MIT Schwarzman College of Computing. “MIT is going to be the anchor of what we will know in society as public interest technology,” said Darren Walker, the president of the Ford Foundation, during a panel discussion on considering the social impacts of AI.
Diane Greene SM ’78, a life member of the MIT Corporation, speaks with Becky Quick of CNBC about the future of AI. Greene explains that companies can now combine data with computational power, so that an “algorithm can learn from the data. Once you start doing that you start getting insights you’ve never gotten before that can leapfrog what you’re able to do.”
Profs. Regina Barzilay and Dina Katabi discuss how AI could transform the field of medicine in a special episode of CNBC’s Squawk Box, broadcast live from MIT’s celebration for the new MIT Schwarzman College of Computing. Barzilay explains that her goal is “to teach machines to do stuff that humans cannot do, for instance predict who is going to get cancer within two years.”
President Rafael Reif and Stephen Schwarzman discuss the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing on Squawk Box. “We are integrating those computing and AI tools into all the disciplines we have, so every student here, no matter what he or she majors in, will be very comfortable using these new tools to practice their profession,” explains Reif.
WBUR’s Deborah Becker speaks with Prof. Regina Barzilay about her work applying AI to health care and Prof. Sangbae Kim about how the natural world has inspired his robotics research during a special Radio Boston segment highlighting innovation in the greater Boston area.
Xconomy reporter Jeff Engel writes about the three-day celebration held for the new MIT Stephen A. Schwarzman College of Computing. Engel writes that during the event, Eric Schmidt, technical advisor for Alphabet, noted that the new college will help address the AI talent shortage. “The level of demand across everything is exploding in this field,” Schmidt explained.
The Associated Press reports that MIT postdoc Nataliya Kosmyna has developed a “Thinking Cap” that analyzes brain activity to sort wearers into a Hogwarts house. The cap, which uses noninvasive electrodes, will eventually be used to help students build self-esteem.
MIT postdoc Nataliya Kosmyna demonstrated a device dubbed the “Thinking Cap” at the MIT Computing Expo, part of the Institute’s celebration of the new MIT Schwarzman College of Computing. Kosmyna explains that the “Thinking Cap” aims to help students build self-esteem and improve their academic performance, writes Steve Annear of The Boston Globe.
WHDH-TV spotlights how research engineer Dane Kouttron has created a self-driving snow blower “powered by a lithium battery that can keep the robot running for four hours continuously.”
CBS Boston highlights how research engineer Dane Kouttron has developed a snow blower that can be operated remotely. Kouttron explains that the idea behind the machine is to, “sit out with your cup of tea and remotely pilot your snow moving machine from the comfort of your own home.”
New York Times reporter Janet Morrissey spotlights Prof. Regina Barzilay and Prof. Dina Katabi’s work developing new AI systems aimed at improving health care. “It’s absolutely the future; it’s even the present,” says Barzilay. “The question is how fast do we adopt it?”
In an article for the Financial Times, President L. Rafael Reif calls for government investment in AI research, and educational offerings that integrate the study of AI into every discipline. “Those nations and institutions which act now to help shape the future of AI will help shape the future for us all,” writes Reif.