MIT announced that it will invest $ 1 billion to create a new institute specialized in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data science

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) announced Monday October 15th that it will create an artificial intelligence (AI) university focused on "the responsible and ethical use" of technology. According to the university, 1,000 million dollars will be invested in the project.

Leer en español: MIT creará facultad de inteligencia artificial

"The initiative will help position the United States as a world leader in preparing for the rapid evolution of computing and artificial intelligence", MIT said in a statement posted on its website.

According to the Xataka newspaper, MIT already has the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at the Stata Center, one of the most important departments in the world in computer science and artificial intelligence; so the new initiative seeks to grow the department and give space to new disciplines.

350 of the 1000 million come from a donation from Stephen A. Schwarzman, CEO of the private equity firm Blackstone, so the new institute will bear his name: 'MIT Schwarzman College of Computing'.

"There is no more important opportunity or challenge for our nation than to responsibly harness the power of AI so that we can remain competitive globally and make progress that will improve our entire society", Schwarzman said.

He added that currently "we are faced with fundamental questions on how to ensure that technological advances benefit everyone, especially those most vulnerable to the radical changes that AI will bring to the nature of the workforce."

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As reported by MIT, the school will maintain independence by adding a dean and 50 new staff members and will seek to educate students from all disciplines taught at MIT to use and develop information technologies and computing to help improve the world.

"Computing is no longer the domain of experts, it is everywhere, and must be understood and dominated by almost everyone", explained Rafael Reif, MIT president in the journal of the institution, MIT Technology Review.

It is planned that this new university will open in September 2019, with a new building to be completed by 2022.

"Big data has played a key role in influencing political opinions, and machine learning is beginning to affect everything from hiring to court rulings", the statement said.

"As AI reconfigures our world, MIT intends to ensure that it is for the good of all", Reif concluded.

LatinAmerican Post | Luisa Fernanda Báez
Translated from “MIT creará facultad de inteligencia artificial”

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