MIT's AI Summit: sharing my notes

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Last week, I attended the Imagination in Action AI Summit at MIT’s Media Lab. If you missed it, you can catch a glimpse of the event through this highlight reel.

Key Takeaways:

• The State of AGI: Despite the excitement, Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) isn't just around the corner, though it's clear many are eagerly pursuing it.
• AI Hype Cycle: We appear to be at the peak of the AI hype cycle. Disappointingly, noted experts Yann LeCun and Lex Fridman were not present in person, which was a letdown.
• Integration of AI: AI is becoming a seamless part of our daily digital and (soon) hardware tools, which means we'll start noticing it less as a distinct feature.

Growing up in a small town before the internet became widespread, I sometimes forget that my environment has drastically changed. Attending the summit reminded me that although I'm not a technical expert, the democratization of knowledge through the internet has allowed me to stay informed and engaged with cutting-edge topics like AI. And, in time, that trend will be amplified by AI.

Insights from the Summit:

1. AI Tagging: Applying AI-generated labels to large datasets can streamline processes but may bias the interpretations of those data and change the outcome of studies.
2. Perplexity App: Aravind Srinivas introduced his new app that summarizes search results with citations, potentially bypassing results from SEO efforts and Google Ads. It's a bold move but faces challenges in user adoption and market positioning.
3. Pattie Maes on AI's Focus: "Investing and focusing so intensely on reaching AGI is the worst use of our resources. AI should be focused on building better intelligent systems that augment the human experience." Maes advocates for a shift in AI development priorities, contrasting sharply with other summit voices. She emphasizes enhancing human lives rather than chasing the elusive goal of AGI, a perspective that resonated as a counterweight to the prevailing summit discourse.
4. AI in Business: Start with the problem you need to solve, not the cash savings you hope to achieve. Focusing on business growth first might lead to better long-term benefits from AI integration.
5. ​Suno​

Additionally, I read Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI to really pile on. It offers a basic introduction to recent AI developments but tends to overly focus on Wharton and chatGPT demos, which might detract from its broader relevance.

Other Highlights:

• Boston and MIT Media Lab: The city and venue were fantastic, adding to the enriching experience of the summit.
• Catching Up: It was great reconnecting with my friend Katrina (hi!), who also attended the event.
• More AI Developments: Meta introduced Llama 3, and Mustafa Suleyman provocatively described AI as a new type of species.

I'm sure I'll have more to say as my humble biology continues to process everything I took in last week.

Until then!!

-Elizabeth