In late November, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) held a Generative AI Week involving faculty, staff, and students from the institution. The event served as a platform to discuss the opportunities and important applications of generative artificial intelligence technologies across varied disciplines. The week’s agenda included a main symposium and four subject-specific symposia. MIT President Sally Kornbluth emphasized MIT’s role in exploring the potential, minimizing the risks, and harnessing the advantages of generative AI for societal good.
The event commenced with the “MIT Generative AI: Shaping the Future Symposium,” featuring two keynote speakers. Professor Emeritus Rodney Brooks discussed the convergence of robotics and generative AI, while media artist and director Refik Anadol covered the interplay between this AI branch and art. The symposium also housed roundtable and panelist discussions and was chaired by Daniela Rus, with Cynthia Breazeal and Sertac Karaman as co-chairs.
The week also saw the screening of a documentary called “Another Body” that follows a college student grappling with finding deepfake pornography of her online.
The Generative AI + Education Symposium explored how generative AI is changing learning experiences and teaching practices, from K-12 to post-secondary education and workforce upskilling. The half-day symposium, co-chaired by Breazeal and Christopher Capozzola, included an innovation showcase where attendees experienced live demonstrations of MIT’s latest research.
The Generative AI + Health Symposium underscored AI research focused on human and planetary health. Talks covered progress in molecular design, sensing applications for human health, climate change projections, improving mobility efficiency, and new materials design.
The Generative AI + Creativity Symposium brought together faculty experts, researchers, and students to discuss and envision a future where generative AI enhances systems and techniques for the betterment of humanity. The Co-chairs of this symposium were Dava Newman and John Ochsendorf.
The Generative AI + Impact on Commerce Symposium investigated the influence of AI on management practice and featured researchers from MIT, policymakers, venture capitalists, and private equity investors. Vivek Farias and Simon Johnson co-chaired the symposium.
Overall, the events during MIT’s Generative AI Week aimed to promote understanding and discussion around generative AI, its implications, applications, and future prospects across a range of sectors and disciplines.
