September 8, 2017 By Larry Loeb 2 min read

IBM, in partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), has announced the foundation of the MIT–IBM Watson AI Lab, a venture that IBM intends to fund with up to $240 million over the next 10 years. The lab will be co-chaired by Dario Gil, IBM research VP of AI and IBM Q, and Anantha P. Chandrakasan, dean of MIT’s School of Engineering.

MIT President L. Rafael Reif told the Associated Press that the new AI lab builds on a long-standing research relationship between IBM and the institution. He also said in an MIT press release that “the combined MIT and IBM talent dedicated to this new effort will bring formidable power to a field with staggering potential to advance knowledge and help solve important challenges.”

IBM and MIT see four key pillars for the scope of the work: AI algorithms, the physics of AI, the application of AI to industries and advancing shared prosperity through AI.

The first pillar focuses on developing core algorithmic advancements that enable learning and reasoning, with the goal of broadening the work that AI systems can perform.

The second consists of computational innovations that are tailored specifically to AI and derived from a mastery of physics. This area could include new AI hardware materials and devices supporting future analog computational approaches to AI model training and deployment. This area could also investigate ways quantum computing could optimize or speed up machine learning algorithms and other AI applications. Training AI to perform tasks currently requires a significant amount of time, so finding ways to increase the speed of training would allow AI to be used for more diverse applications.

While the lab will be working on fundamental breakthroughs, it will also look at vertical applications of AI to industries such as health care and cybersecurity. For this third pillar, keeping patient information secured might be one of the first areas researchers will explore.

IBM describes the last pillar as achieving shared prosperity through AI technology. MIT has suggested this last point means exploring the economic and ethical implications of AI on society.

All this should involve 100 AI scientists, professors and students pursuing joint research at IBM’s Research Lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts, as well as the IBM Watson Health and the IBM Security headquarters in Kendall Square and on the neighboring MIT campus.

For information about employment opportunities with IBM at the new AI Lab, interested parties can visit the MIT–IBM Watson AI Lab.

More from

Autonomous security for cloud in AWS: Harnessing the power of AI for a secure future

3 min read - As the digital world evolves, businesses increasingly rely on cloud solutions to store data, run operations and manage applications. However, with this growth comes the challenge of ensuring that cloud environments remain secure and compliant with ever-changing regulations. This is where the idea of autonomous security for cloud (ASC) comes into play.Security and compliance aren't just technical buzzwords; they are crucial for businesses of all sizes. With data breaches and cyber threats on the rise, having systems that ensure your…

Adversarial advantage: Using nation-state threat analysis to strengthen U.S. cybersecurity

4 min read - Nation-state adversaries are changing their approach, pivoting from data destruction to prioritizing stealth and espionage. According to the Microsoft 2023 Digital Defense Report, "nation-state attackers are increasing their investments and launching more sophisticated cyberattacks to evade detection and achieve strategic priorities."These actors pose a critical threat to United States infrastructure and protected data, and compromising either resource could put citizens at risk.Thankfully, there's an upside to these malicious efforts: information. By analyzing nation-state tactics, government agencies and private enterprises are…

6 Principles of Operational Technology Cybersecurity released by joint NSA initiative

4 min read - Today’s critical infrastructure organizations rely on operational technology (OT) to help control and manage the systems and processes required to keep critical services to the public running. However, due to the highly integrated nature of OT deployments, cybersecurity has become a primary concern.On October 2, 2024, the NSA (National Security Agency) released a new CSI titled “Principles of Operational Technology Cybersecurity.” This new guide was created in collaboration with the Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre (ASD SCSC) to…

Topic updates

Get email updates and stay ahead of the latest threats to the security landscape, thought leadership and research.
Subscribe today