CSAIL + Imagination in Action Event at MIT
June 28, 2023
Actual Picture of the Stata Building at MIT:
From the start of yesterday’s MIT CSAIL + “Imagination in Action” at MIT’s Stata amphitheater, it was a non-stop marathon of learning and discovery.
Organized by Daniela Rus and John Werner, this event was dreamed up to educate and motivate startups and current/future founders in order to build successful AI-focused companies. Not only did this foster entrepreneurship in the space, it marked the intersection of AI innovation and practical applications by serving as CSAIL's 20/60 anniversary celebration. Additionally, the event celebrated both the Ethernet's 50th anniversary and Bob Metcalfe’s honor of the ACM’s 2022 A.M. Turing Award for “Invention, Standardization, and Commercialization of Ethernet”.
We started the day early (from 7:30 to 8:30 am!) by learning from 40 startups making f-a-s-t presentations of their company. They covered the product, value proposition and plans with the goal of filling the gap between promising AI models and commercial viability, all while promoting the adoption of AI as real-world solutions. These startups produced a diverse set of products for many industries utilizing generative AI, machine learning, and other technologies. Based on these presentations, the future of AI is bright, with ideas like these leading new applications and use cases.
Then there were sixty (60!) “AI Frontiers & Implications” presentations – or “Imagination Talks” – featuring experts sharing their research and ideas, with the goal of bridging the gap between groundbreaking AI research and real-world commercial implementations.
Daniela Rus’ kickoff presentation on “Liquid AI” focused on the elimination of the noise from the signal in guidance systems for driverless cars. As Director of CSAIL and Deputy Dean of Research at MIT, she set the inspirational tone to the technical presentations.
There was a whole slew of updates on robotics with the underlying math, geometry and AI. Without getting too granular, it expanded the attendee writing this post’s appreciation for the advances that have been recently made in the field.
The event brought together luminaries, pioneers, and enthusiasts in AI to celebrate CSAIL's legacy and explore the future of AI innovation. It was memorable, in part, because by the end of the day, I felt like I had learned a ton and I was very glad to see many long-standing friends in the field - and make some new ones.