Principal Research Scientist Andrew McAfee speaks with CNBC reporter Robert Frank about the artificial intelligence boom. “It’s astonishing how geographically concentrated this AI wave is,” says McAfee. “The people who know how to found and fund and grow tech companies are there.”
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."
Vijay Gadepally, senior staff member at MIT Lincoln Lab, speaks with New York Times reporter Claire Brown about the impact of AI data centers on the electrical grid. “There’s a lot of things we can do to be better stewards of the power we currently have,” says Gadepally.
A working paper by MIT researchers has found “that the most successful generative AI deployments consistently involve frontline workers from the earliest stages through rollout,” reports Sharon Wu for USA Today. The researchers “demonstrate that when employees help define the problem, co-design workflows, experiment with tools, and shape fair transition policies, not only does adoption improve, but worker productivity and job quality also rise.”
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.”
A study by researchers at MIT has found that “pedestrians are walking 15 percent faster and stopping to linger 14 percent less than they used to,” reports Rima Sabina Aouf for Dezeen. “Using computer vision and artificial intelligence to analyze videos of four public spaces across three American cities, the study found that walking speeds rose notably between 1980 and 2010, while instances of people lingering or interacting with others fell,” writes Aouf.
Researchers at MIT have found that “pedestrians in three major northeastern U.S. cities – Boston, New York and Philadelphia —are moving 15 percent faster than they did in 1980,” reports Lucy Notarantonio for Newsweek. Notarantonio explains that: “The researchers hope their work will inform how cities design and redesign public areas — especially at a time when digital polarization is reshaping how people connect in real life.”
Prof. Andrew Lo speaks with Bloomberg reporter Lu Wang about how AI tools could be applied to the financial services industry, working alongside humans to help manage money, balance risk, tailor strategies and possibly even act in a client’s best interest. “I believe that within the next five years we’re going to see a revolution in how humans interact with AI,” says Lo. He adds that “the financial services industry has extra layers of protection that needs to be built before these tools can be useful.”
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.”
Prof. Emeritus Donald Sadoway speaks with Forbes reporter Neil Winton about the development of solid-state batteries and the future of electric vehicles. “Yes, in 2035 the U.S. the automobile market will be roughly the same as today, but by then the massive demand for electricity from computers, AI and EVs will combine to demand more electricity than the grid can supply,” says Sadoway.
Rizwan Virk '92 speaks with Boston Globe reporter Brian Bergstein about his book “The Simulation Hypothesis: An MIT Computer Scientist Shows Why AI, Quantum Physics, and Eastern Mystics All Agree We Are in a Video Game.” Bergstein writes: “The book came out in 2019, but an updated version is being released this week to account for developments in artificial intelligence and quantum computing.”
Prof. Sherry Turkle speaks with NPR’s Ted Radio Hour host Manoush Zomorodi about her research on the impact of AI usage on people’s relationships with their technology. “You know, we built this tool, and it's making and shaping and changing us,” says Turkle. “There is no such thing as just a tool. And looking back, I think I did capture the new thing that was happening to people's psychologies, really because of my method, which was just to listen to people. And I think that my work was not esoteric in the sense that it spoke directly to those feelings of disorientation. The culture had met something uncanny, and I tried to really speak to that feeling.”
In his new book, “The Comedy of Computation: Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Obsolescence,” Prof. Benjamin Mangrum explores how comedy can be a useful tool in a world “increasingly shaped by algorithms, automation, and artificial intelligence,” reports Ed Publica. “As we move deeper into an era of smart machines, digital identities, and algorithmic decision-making, Mangrum’s book reminds us that a well-placed joke might still be one of our most human responses,” they write.
Prof. David Autor speaks with ABC News reporter Max Zahn about how AI will affect the job market. "We're not good at predicting what the new work will be; we're good at predicting how current work will change," says Autor.