MIT President, Sally Kornbluth, and Provost, Cynthia Barnhart, issued a call for papers last summer regarding “effective roadmaps, policy recommendations, and calls for action” in the field of generative AI. From the 75 proposals they received, 27 were chosen for seed funding. Following the enormous response, a second call for proposals was launched which resulted in 53 submissions. A faculty committee selected 16 proposals to receive exploratory funding.
The chosen proposals were co-written by teams of faculty and researchers associated with all five of the Institute’s schools and the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing, providing vast insights on the potential impact and applications of generative AI across multiple domains and disciplines.
The funding for these research groups ranged from $50,000 to $70,000 to create 10-page impact papers that will be disseminated through a publication under the MIT Press management, specifically using the framework of the MIT Open Publishing Services program. Thomas Tull, an MIT School of Engineering Dean’s Advisory Council member and former innovation scholar at the school, supplied funding to support the effort.
The selected papers encompass a broad range of topics including: AI privacy and verification, generative AI in physical sciences discovery, visual intelligence generation, the value of AI-generated art, improving human interactions through genAI, development of new application platforms, civic engagement, advanced materials from traditional crafts, impact on biomedical innovation and drug discovery, the creative economy, live music performances, learning with generative AI, building robust and reliable systems, supporting the elderly population, the science of language, and exploring the reaction of visual artists to technological advancements.
These selected papers have defined specific contextual applications for generative AI, seeking to understand its broad-ranging impacts and to improve or facilitate innovations in various fields. It marks an ongoing initiative to contribute valuable insights into AI’s transformative capabilities and challenges.
