Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL)

In an excerpt from her new book, “The Mind’s Mirror: Risk and Reward in the Age of AI," Prof. Daniela Rus, director of CSAIL, addresses the fear surrounding new AI technologies, while also exploring AI’s vast potential. “New technologies undoubtedly disrupt existing jobs, but they also create entirely new industries, and the new roles needed to support them,” writes Rus.  

Research Scientist Mathieu Huot speaks with Tech Briefs reporter Andrew Corselli about his work with GenSQL, a generative AI system for databases that “could help users make predictions, detect anomalies, guess missing values, fix errors, or generate synthetic data with just a few keystrokes.” 

MIT researchers have developed “a robotic system that can rotate different types of fruit and vegetable using its fingers on one hand, while the other arm is made to peel,” reports Alex Wilkins for New Scientist. “These additional steps of doing rotation are something which is very straightforward to humans, we don’t even think about it,” Prof. Pulkit Agrawal. “But for a robot, this becomes challenging.”

Prof. Li-Huei Tsai, director of the Picower Institute, speaks with NPR host Jon Hamilton about her work identifying a protein called reelin that appears to protect brain cells from Alzheimer's. “Tsai says she and her team are now using artificial intelligence to help find a drug that can replicate what reelin does naturally,” says Hamilton. 

Researchers at MIT have developed a new method for “training home robots in simulation,” reports Brain Heater for TechCrunch. “Simulation has become a bedrock element of robot training in recent decades,” explains Heater. “It allows robots to try and fail at tasks thousands — or even millions — of times in the same amount of time it would take to do it once in the real world.” 

Prof. Armando Solar-Lezama speaks with The Wall Street Journal reporter Isabelle Bousquette about large language models (LLMs) in academia. Instead of building LLMs from scratch, Solar-Lezama suggests “students and researchers are focused on developing applications and even creating synthetic data that could be used to train LLMs,” writes Bousquette. 

MIT scientists have created RoboGrocery, a robot prototype that can pack a bag of standard groceries, reports Mack DeGeurin for Popular Science. Using an RGB-D camera equipped with computer vision technology and grippers with pressure sensors, RoboGrocery’s “ability to assess items, determine their delicacy, and pack efficiently without causing damage sets it apart from conventional robotic packers,” explains Prof. Daniela Rus. 

New York Times reporter Siobhan Roberts highlights the various MIT faculty and students who have contributed to the “serious recreational mathematics” behind the Rubik’s Cube phenomenon. Various mathematicians, including Prof. Erik Demaine, organized a two-day special session to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Rubik’s Cube. 

Prof. Yoon Kim speaks with Vox reporter Adam Clark Estes on how to address hallucinations and misinformation within large language models. “I don't think we'll ever be at a stage where we can guarantee that hallucinations won't exist,” says Kim. “But I think there's been a lot of advancements in reducing these hallucinations, and I think we'll get to a point where they'll become good enough to use.”

Researchers from MIT have developed RoboGrocery, a soft robotic system that “can determine how to pack a grocery item based on its weight, size and shape without causing damage to the item,” reports Jennifer Kite-Powell for Forbes. “This is more than just automation—it's a paradigm shift that enhances precision, reduces waste and adapts seamlessly to the diverse needs of modern retail logistics,” says Prof. Daniela Rus, director of CSAIL. 

MIT scientists have developed a “four-fingered robotic hand which is capable of rotating balls and toys in any direction and orientation,” reports Maisie Lillywhite for BBC News. “The improvement in dexterity could have significant implications for automating tasks such as handling goods for supermarkets or sorting through waste for recycling,” Lillywhite writes.

Prof. Dylan Hadfield-Menell is interviewed by Wired’s Will Knight about CriticGPT, a new tool developed by OpenAI that will assist human trainers in developing AI. “It might lead to big jumps in individual capabilities, and it might be a stepping stone towards sort of more effective feedback in the long run,” Hadfield-Menell says.

Research Scientist Neil Thompson speaks with New York Times reporter Hank Sanders about the economic and social impact of AI technology in the fast-food industry. Thompson explains that “voice A.I. is inaccurate often enough that it requires some level of human oversight, which decreases cost savings,” writes Hank.