Latest news with #DanielaRus
Forbes
20-05-2025
- Science
- Forbes
Physical And Agentic AI Is Coming
Some interesting questions are coming up in the world of artificial intelligence that have to do with the combination of physical environments and agentic AI. First of all, that term, agentic AI, is only a couple of years old. But it's taking hold in a big way – in enterprise, and government, and elsewhere. The key is this, though – if the AI agents can do things, how do they have the access to do those things? If it's digital tasks, the LLM has to be supported by APIs and connective tissue, like a Model Context Protocol or something else. But what if it's physical? In a recent panel at Imagination in Action in April, my colleague, Daniela Rus, director of the MIT CSAIL lab, talked to a number of experts about how this would work in both the public and private sectors. 'The bridge is when we can take AI's ability to understand text, images and other online data about the physical, world to make real-world machines intelligent,' Rus said. 'And now, if you can get a machine to understand a high-level goal, break it down into sub-components, and execute some of the sub-goals by itself, you end up with agentic AI.' So what did panelists center on? Here are a few major ideas that came out of the discussion on how AI can work more humanly in the physical world where humans live. In exploring what makes humans different from machines, there was the idea that people do things on a personal basis, which differentiates them from the herd. So the AI will have to learn not to follow a consensus-based model all of the time. That's a key bit of difference, what you might call a 'foible' that makes humans special - so in the enterprise world, it may not be a foible at all, but a value add. 'What you do not want is consensus regression to the mean information, like generally accepted ways of doing things,' said panelist Emrecan Dogan. 'This is not how, as humans, we create value. We create value by taking a subjective approach, taking the path that is very personal, very subjective, very idiosyncratic. We are not always right, but when we are right, this is how we create value.' As for government, panelist Col. Tucker Hamilton talked about electronic warfare, and stressed the importance of a human in the loop. 'I think we want to embed (HITL) so that a human is still in control,' he said. I think we need… explainability, traceability, and that goes along with governability as well. And I think we want to be able to favor adaptability to perfection.' You have to reason, you have to think and understand,' added panelist Jonas Diezun. Another way to think about this is that the programs have to be just the right amount of deterministic guidance. 'They don't always repeat,' Dogan said of these tools. 'They don't behave exactly the same way the second, third, fourth time you run it. So I think the big (idea) is the right blend of determinism that you can embed along with the stochasticity. So I think the truly powerful agents will convey some expression of deterministic behavior, but then the stochastic upside of AI models. Some other components of this have to do, simply, with infrastructure. 'Sensors, we're gathering information off of a sensor multi-modal (program), like sensor gathering,' Hamilton said. 'How do we summarize that information? How do we make sure that one sensor is fused with another sensor? How do we have pipelines that we can get that information to, in order to have someone just assess that, like sensor information, let alone how do we adopt flight autonomy?' In other words, all of those real-world pieces have to be connected the right way for the system to work in physical space, and not just digitally. Finally, Rus asked each panelist their timeline for AI taking over most human tasks. The lower numbers represent when these panelists think that the simple tasks can be adopted by AI. The second number is a projection of when AI would take over the more complex tasks. The verdict? 'Quarters, not years.' I thought all of this was very instructive in showing some of what we have to contend with as we anticipate the rest of the AI revolution. It's been a long time coming, but the exponential curve of the technology is finally here, and likely to be integrated into our worlds quickly almost suddenly. Job displacement is an enormous concern. So is the potential for runaway systems that could do more harm than good. Let's continue to be vigilant as 2025 rolls on.
Forbes
28-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
The Agents Are Coming – More On What We Will Do Next To AI Partners
If the prior year was the year of artificial intelligence becoming more familiar to the average person, and the rise of certain brand names, like ChatGPT, this year is the year of the AI agent. In a nutshell, this is the idea that LLM engines can go beyond just predicting words or simulating conversation, and start doing things themselves. Some of Anthropic's Claude tools are an excellent example of the AI taking more initiative and doing more on its own. At MIT, researchers are working on something called the AI agent index that maintains a database of agentic AI systems, exploring how AI agents are used for things like research, software development, and more. A resource from our CSAIL lab shows some of the major benefits of AI agents, including efficiency, specialization, and lower operational costs (more on that in a moment). The article also has a list of MIT notables handling projects related to agentic AI, including the work of my colleague Daniela Rus, the director of CSAIL MIT, in integrating natural language processing for self-driving vehicles. It lists challenges, too, and takeaways for business. It's a good survey. Here's another interesting source for direction on agentic AI. In a recent edition of AI Daily Brief, Nathaniel Whittemore goes over an essay by Gian Segato about new kinds of companies that will leverage technology in specific ways. 'A new breed of companies is emerging, lean, unconventional and wildly successful,' Segato writes. 'They generate hundreds of millions of dollars, yet have no sales teams, no marketing departments, no formal HR, not even vertically specialized engineers. They're led by a handful of people doing the work of hundreds, leveraging machines to scale their impact. For years, we feared automation would replace humans, but as AI reshapes the economy, it's becoming clear that far from replacing human ingenuity, AI has amplified it.' Segato also goes over a version of what can make AI 'agentic,' related to human ingenuity. 'True agency is an unruly psychological trait,' he writes. 'It's the willingness (to do things) without explicit validation, instruction or even permission. It's the meme you can just do things knowing that you could poke life and something will pop out the other side.' As Whittemore reads Segato's essay, outsourcing this task to an Elevenlabs voice approximator, the listener hears a thesis taking shape – that AI is changing the calculus on specialized labor. Noting that the past has 'not been kind to generalists,' Segato describes a shift where specialized human knowledge is going to become less valuable, too: 'We're now facing a rupture, a phase transition. AI has eroded the value of specialization, because for many tasks, achieving the outcome (that previously took) several years of experience, it now takes a $20 ChatGPT subscription … a decade ago, it took me nine months to gain enough experience to ship a single prototype. Now it takes just one week to build a state-of-the-art platform ready to be shipped, a project once only achievable by a full team of professionals.' It will change the way training works, he posits, and may result in many companies favoring credentials over outcomes. In the course of the essay, Segato uses terms like 'homeostatic equilibrium' to describe an environment disrupted by AI, and 'bimodal shape distribution of deployment,' noting that we might trend toward a need for 'specialized human accountability' in managing these agents. 'This will include sectors such as defense, healthcare, space exploration, biological research and AI administration itself,' Segato writes, 'all domains where variance of prediction models are higher than the acceptable risk threshold. Wherever mistakes can kill, and AI can't prove to be virtually all-knowing, we can expect regulation to enforce natural barriers and the need to hire experts. It's similar to why we continue to require human pilots: despite having the technological capacity for autonomous flight, sometimes we just want the ability to point a finger.' On the other hand, he describes situations where iterative failure toward success is an option, writing: 'Wherever we are okay with trying again after getting a bad AI generation, we will see market disruption. Data science, marketing, financial modeling, education, graphic design, counseling and architecture will all experience an influx of non-specialized, high-agency individuals. Sure, machines will keep making mistakes, but their rate of improvement has been astronomical and will only continue to delay the point at which generalists feel the need to hire experts.' After reading the entire piece, Whittemore provides some words of his own, after the obligatory vendor snippets. 'I think it's a great piece,' he starts out, 'very thought provoking, and I'm really excited that Gian has shared it and gotten us all to chatter.' Whittemore referred to a 'Microsoft work trend index' leading to a prediction of a time when humans plan, and AI executes. '(The index) basically predicted that the end state of agents In the office is human orchestrators and agent operators, basically, that humans were going to do the planning, and that agents were going to do the execution. That's a different way of saying that the key skill sets and attributes of people in the workforce in the future is going to be around planning and coordination of agents everywhere (that agentic AI) becomes popular.' He also weighs in on that difference between mission-critical applications and others that have room for error. 'We're even seeing this sort of division in the way that companies are experimenting with agents right now,' Whittemore says. 'There are certain parts of their business where they simply can't abide (the) current fail rate or hallucination rate or underperformance rate, or however you want to determine it, of agents, because it's so critical. On the other hand, there are areas where the consequence of those problems is simply less pertinent. It is in those consequence-light areas that companies are (using) agents now, with the knowledge that capabilities continue to trend up.' Listening to the podcast and looking at the components of the essay. I realize that a lot of the same ideas that we saw in conferences earlier this year are sounding out around the near future. I'm hearing a lot of experts talking about these likelihoods as AI develops rapidly. We'll have AI agents baked into various industries and verticals, and humans will have to figure out how to adapt and coexist with these tools. What will that change do in the context of classical business and its power relationships? We'll have to see.
Associated Press
07-03-2025
- Science
- Associated Press
Professor Daniela Rus: A new voice in the VinFuture Prize Council - Honoring AI and Robotics revolution
HANOI, VIETNAM - Media OutReach Newswire - 7 March 2025 - As Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics have increasingly reshaped industries and societies, promising to be the multibillion-dollar opportunity in the next decade, the VinFuture Prize is committed to recognizing and honoring pioneers who have driven this technological revolution. After the 2024 Grand Prize honored five scientists for their contributions to advancing deep learning, the Prize Council has now welcomed Professor Daniela Rus, Director of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) at MIT, as its newest member. Professor Daniela Rus. Photo courtesy of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). On the occasion of International Women's Day, Professor Rus reflects on her journey in a field long perceived as male-dominated and shares how AI plays an important role in shaping the future of robotics. From the leap of AI to robots The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence presents significant opportunities for robotics to drive industrial revolution. AI models are surprisingly humanlike in their ability to process text, video, images, and other data when prompted. However, Professor Rus pointed out that so far, these algorithms have largely remained relegated to the digital world, rather than the real world. Meanwhile, robots excel in the physical world but lack inherent intelligence, relying largely on pre-programmed instructions. This is a decade when AI will finally make the leap from the digital world to the real world. Professor Rus envisions bridging this gap by integrating AI into robotics to make real-world physical machines intelligent. 'They can be robots and also other machines, including power grids, sensors, and satellites; essentially anything you want in the physical world,' she said. This vision requires what Professor Rus calls 'physical AI.' In other words, it means developing AI models that not only process information but also understand the physics of the real world, she explained. This requires overcoming the limitations of current statistical AI, which lacks a deep understanding of real-world physics. Ultimately, Professor Rus emphasized the need to develop AI solutions that are physics-aware, causal, error-free, compact and integrated into physical systems. With many researchers and scientists actively pursuing these advancements, she predicts a complete transformation of industries over the next decade. 'In healthcare, AI-driven diagnostic tools can improve monitoring and disease detection. Meanwhile, autonomous systems promise safer roads, reducing fatalities, and making our transportation system much more efficient and effective. One of the most exciting applications is real-time language translation, which can enable seamless global communication.' she clarified. In general, AI and robotics hand in hand could liberate humans from mundane routine tasks, enabling them to dedicate their efforts to higher-level activities such as strategic thinking and creative problem-solving. However, Professor Rus also emphasized the importance of acknowledging the current limitations of machine learning and cautioned against over-reliance on robotics as a universal solution. Embrace the AI era Recognizing the profound impact of AI on industries and societies globally, Professor Rus expressed her appreciation for the VinFuture Prize's recognition of the pioneers driving this transformation, comprehensively acknowledge contributions from all three core pillars of AI revolution: machine-learning (Professors Yoshua Bengio – Geoffrey Hinton – Yann LeCun), datasets (Professor Fei-Fei Li) and hardware (Mr. Jensen Huang). 'The prize highlights how far we've come from the scientific foundations of AI to the point where it can create so much impact in improving our lives and contributing to a better world,' she exclaimed. As the newest member of the esteemed VinFuture Prize Council, she expressed her anticipation for a productive collaboration, aligned with the Council's objectives: 'The VinFuture Prize is remarkable, and it is wonderful to see AI researchers and advancements receiving this level of recognition. My expectation is that this collaboration will focus on identifying and celebrating groundbreaking achievements and people who have made those contributions that have the potential to transform industries and improve lives.' Regarding the long-term impact of intelligent robots in the near future, Professor Rus emphasized the necessity of equipping individuals with the knowledge and skills required to navigate this evolving landscape. She highlighted the importance of achieving digital literacy to adapt to the inevitable technological shift, through formal education, corporate training, or community-led initiatives. 'It's important to recognize that these tools are neither inherently good nor bad: their impact depends on how we choose to use them,' she stressed. With the advocate from the VinFuture Prize to the constant development of AI, Professor Rus was confident that this would serve as a rallying point to inspire more young researchers and developers worldwide to push the boundaries of AI and robots across borders. 'We are at a pivotal moment where AI is beginning to make a profound impact on the world. The Prize will energize the younger generation to participate, learn, and contribute. The more that young scientists and engineers engage with AI and robotics, the faster we will see meaningful advancements that create a more equitable and sustainable future for all,' she remarked. 'The path is never a straight line' Recognized among the distinguished women leading the global advancement of AI and robotics, Professor Rus traces her passion to an early fascination with science fiction. Her subsequent studies in computer science, mathematics, and astronomy provided a foundation for her academic journey, which was further shaped by the guidance of her future PhD advisor. Inspired by her advisor, she became deeply intrigued by the potential application of computation to interact with the physical world. 'This realization was a turning point for me, as I saw an opportunity to work on something groundbreaking,' she said. Reflecting on the state-of-the-art at that time, most robots were characterized by humanoid forms, robotic arms, or box-like wheeled machines, predominantly constructed from metal. Despite their power, these industrial robots proved impractical for factory assistance due to their bulk, weight, and inherent safety risks. Professor Rus adopted an alternative approach to address this challenge: 'I realized how the natural world was full of diverse forms and materials and explored ways to expand the definition of a robot to include a wider range of these. In my lab, we pioneered early work in soft robotics and investigated using silicone, paper, and even food as the basis for making new robots.' This research approach led her to pursue the development of machines possessing both physical form and cognitive capabilities, aiming to optimize the synergy between structural design and intelligent control, motivating machines to act with purpose and adaptability. 'By merging smarter AI with innovative materials and designs, we can push the boundaries of what robots can achieve,' she explained. Throughout her remarkable journey, Professor Rus distinguished herself with unwavering commitment to advancing the science and engineering of intelligence. She demonstrates a persistent dedication to addressing evolving challenges within the field, in pursuit of a future where machines seamlessly integrate into human lives, supporting people in both physical and cognitive tasks. 'Challenges are inevitable, and the path is never a straight line. The key is to stay focused on a big goal.' Professor Rus emphasized, 'You have to adapt to wherever science and engineering can take you. Studying these machines has taught me that we have so much opportunity and more left to learn, not only about the machines but also about ourselves.' The VinFuture Foundation, established on International Human Solidarity Day on December 20th, 2020, is a non-profit organization co-founded by billionaire Mr. Pham Nhat Vuong and his wife, Mrs. Pham Thu Huong. The Foundation's core activity is awarding the annual VinFuture Prize, which recognizes transformative scientific and technological innovations capable of making significant positive changes in the lives of millions of people worldwide. The nomination period for the 2025 VinFuture Prize will close at 2:00 PM on April 17, 2025 (Vietnam time, GMT+7). The VinFuture Prize consists of four prestigious awards presented each year. The most esteemed is the VinFuture Grand Prize, valued at US$3 million, making it one of the largest annual prizes globally. Additionally, there are three Special Prizes, each valued at US$500,000, specifically dedicated to honoring women innovators, innovators from developing countries, and innovators with outstanding achievements in emerging fields.
Zawya
07-03-2025
- Science
- Zawya
Professor Daniela Rus: A new voice in the VinFuture Prize Council - Honoring AI and Robotics revolution
HANOI, VIETNAM - Media OutReach Newswire - 7 March 2025 - As Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics have increasingly reshaped industries and societies, promising to be the multibillion-dollar opportunity in the next decade, the VinFuture Prize is committed to recognizing and honoring pioneers who have driven this technological revolution. After the 2024 Grand Prize honored five scientists for their contributions to advancing deep learning, the Prize Council has now welcomed Professor Daniela Rus, Director of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) at MIT, as its newest member. On the occasion of International Women's Day, Professor Rus reflects on her journey in a field long perceived as male-dominated and shares how AI plays an important role in shaping the future of robotics. From the leap of AI to robots The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence presents significant opportunities for robotics to drive industrial revolution. AI models are surprisingly humanlike in their ability to process text, video, images, and other data when prompted. However, Professor Rus pointed out that so far, these algorithms have largely remained relegated to the digital world, rather than the real world. Meanwhile, robots excel in the physical world but lack inherent intelligence, relying largely on pre-programmed instructions. This is a decade when AI will finally make the leap from the digital world to the real world. Professor Rus envisions bridging this gap by integrating AI into robotics to make real-world physical machines intelligent. " They can be robots and also other machines, including power grids, sensors, and satellites; essentially anything you want in the physical world," she said. This vision requires what Professor Rus calls "physical AI." In other words, it means developing AI models that not only process information but also understand the physics of the real world, she explained. This requires overcoming the limitations of current statistical AI, which lacks a deep understanding of real-world physics. Ultimately, Professor Rus emphasized the need to develop AI solutions that are physics-aware, causal, error-free, compact and integrated into physical systems. With many researchers and scientists actively pursuing these advancements, she predicts a complete transformation of industries over the next decade. " In healthcare, AI-driven diagnostic tools can improve monitoring and disease detection. Meanwhile, autonomous systems promise safer roads, reducing fatalities, and making our transportation system much more efficient and effective. One of the most exciting applications is real-time language translation, which can enable seamless global communication." she clarified. In general, AI and robotics hand in hand could liberate humans from mundane routine tasks, enabling them to dedicate their efforts to higher-level activities such as strategic thinking and creative problem-solving. However, Professor Rus also emphasized the importance of acknowledging the current limitations of machine learning and cautioned against over-reliance on robotics as a universal solution. Embrace the AI era Recognizing the profound impact of AI on industries and societies globally, Professor Rus expressed her appreciation for the VinFuture Prize's recognition of the pioneers driving this transformation, comprehensively acknowledge contributions from all three core pillars of AI revolution: machine-learning (Professors Yoshua Bengio – Geoffrey Hinton – Yann LeCun), datasets (Professor Fei-Fei Li) and hardware (Mr. Jensen Huang). " The prize highlights how far we've come from the scientific foundations of AI to the point where it can create so much impact in improving our lives and contributing to a better world," she exclaimed. As the newest member of the esteemed VinFuture Prize Council, she expressed her anticipation for a productive collaboration, aligned with the Council's objectives: " The VinFuture Prize is remarkable, and it is wonderful to see AI researchers and advancements receiving this level of recognition. My expectation is that this collaboration will focus on identifying and celebrating groundbreaking achievements and people who have made those contributions that have the potential to transform industries and improve lives." Regarding the long-term impact of intelligent robots in the near future, Professor Rus emphasized the necessity of equipping individuals with the knowledge and skills required to navigate this evolving landscape. She highlighted the importance of achieving digital literacy to adapt to the inevitable technological shift, through formal education, corporate training, or community-led initiatives. " It's important to recognize that these tools are neither inherently good nor bad: their impact depends on how we choose to use them," she stressed. With the advocate from the VinFuture Prize to the constant development of AI, Professor Rus was confident that this would serve as a rallying point to inspire more young researchers and developers worldwide to push the boundaries of AI and robots across borders. " We are at a pivotal moment where AI is beginning to make a profound impact on the world. The Prize will energize the younger generation to participate, learn, and contribute. The more that young scientists and engineers engage with AI and robotics, the faster we will see meaningful advancements that create a more equitable and sustainable future for all," she remarked. "The path is never a straight line" Recognized among the distinguished women leading the global advancement of AI and robotics, Professor Rus traces her passion to an early fascination with science fiction. Her subsequent studies in computer science, mathematics, and astronomy provided a foundation for her academic journey, which was further shaped by the guidance of her future PhD advisor. Inspired by her advisor, she became deeply intrigued by the potential application of computation to interact with the physical world. " This realization was a turning point for me, as I saw an opportunity to work on something groundbreaking," she said. Reflecting on the state-of-the-art at that time, most robots were characterized by humanoid forms, robotic arms, or box-like wheeled machines, predominantly constructed from metal. Despite their power, these industrial robots proved impractical for factory assistance due to their bulk, weight, and inherent safety risks. Professor Rus adopted an alternative approach to address this challenge: " I realized how the natural world was full of diverse forms and materials and explored ways to expand the definition of a robot to include a wider range of these. In my lab, we pioneered early work in soft robotics and investigated using silicone, paper, and even food as the basis for making new robots." This research approach led her to pursue the development of machines possessing both physical form and cognitive capabilities, aiming to optimize the synergy between structural design and intelligent control, motivating machines to act with purpose and adaptability. " By merging smarter AI with innovative materials and designs, we can push the boundaries of what robots can achieve," she explained. Throughout her remarkable journey, Professor Rus distinguished herself with unwavering commitment to advancing the science and engineering of intelligence. She demonstrates a persistent dedication to addressing evolving challenges within the field, in pursuit of a future where machines seamlessly integrate into human lives, supporting people in both physical and cognitive tasks. " Challenges are inevitable, and the path is never a straight line. The key is to stay focused on a big goal." Professor Rus emphasized, " You have to adapt to wherever science and engineering can take you. Studying these machines has taught me that we have so much opportunity and more left to learn, not only about the machines but also about ourselves." The VinFuture Foundation, established on International Human Solidarity Day on December 20th, 2020, is a non-profit organization co-founded by billionaire Mr. Pham Nhat Vuong and his wife, Mrs. Pham Thu Huong. The Foundation's core activity is awarding the annual VinFuture Prize, which recognizes transformative scientific and technological innovations capable of making significant positive changes in the lives of millions of people worldwide. The nomination period for the 2025 VinFuture Prize will close at 2:00 PM on April 17, 2025 (Vietnam time, GMT+7). The VinFuture Prize consists of four prestigious awards presented each year. The most esteemed is the VinFuture Grand Prize, valued at US$3 million, making it one of the largest annual prizes globally. Additionally, there are three Special Prizes, each valued at US$500,000, specifically dedicated to honoring women innovators, innovators from developing countries, and innovators with outstanding achievements in emerging fields. Hashtag: #VinFuture The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. VinFuture
