A new compound called enterololin suppresses a group of bacteria linked to Crohn’s disease flare-ups while leaving the rest of the microbiome largely intact. Researchers say it’s a step toward treatments designed to knock out only the bacteria causing trouble (Credits: Alex Shipps/MIT CSAIL, using assets from the researchers and Pexels).
CSAIL article
AI maps how a new antibiotic targets gut bacteria

For patients with inflammatory bowel disease, antibiotics can be a double-edged sword. The broad-spectrum drugs often prescribed for gut flare-ups can kill helpful microbes alongside harmful ones, sometimes worsening symptoms over time. When fighting gut inflammation, you don’t always want to bring a sledgehammer to a knife fight.

The “Steerable Scene Generation” approach creates digital scenes of things like kitchens, living rooms, and restaurants that engineers can use to simulate lots of real-world robot interactions and scenarios (Credit: Image courtesy of the researchers).
CSAIL article
Using generative AI to diversify virtual training grounds for robots

Chatbots like ChatGPT and Claude have experienced a meteoric rise in usage over the past three years because they can help you with a wide range of tasks. Whether you’re writing Shakespearean sonnets, debugging code, or need an answer to an obscure trivia question, artificial intelligence (AI) systems seem to have you covered. The source of this versatility? Billions or even trillions of textual data points across the Internet.

CSAIL researchers highlighted their research at the intersection of holographic art and human-computer interaction. Including among these projects were objects w/angle-dependent hues generated by nanoscale diffraction, as well as multi-perspective imagery on 3D-printed items (Credit: Alex Shipps/MIT CSAIL and the researchers).
CSAIL article
CSAIL research at the intersection of holographic art and human-computer interaction

In 1968, MIT Professor Stephen Benton transformed holography by making three-dimensional images viewable under white light. Over fifty years later, holography’s legacy is inspiring new directions at MIT CSAIL, where the Human-Computer Interaction Engineering (HCIE) group, led by Professor Stefanie Mueller, is pioneering programmable color — a future in which light and material appearance can be dynamically controlled.

Scaling laws enable researchers to use smaller LLMs to predict the performance of a significantly bigger target model, thus allowing better allocation of computational power (Credits: Adobe Stock).
CSAIL article
How to build AI scaling laws for efficient LLM training and budget maximization

When researchers are building large language models (LLMs), they aim to maximize performance under a particular computational and financial budget. Since training a model can amount to millions of dollars, developers need to be judicious with cost-impacting decisions about, for instance, the model architecture, optimizers, and training datasets before committing to a model. To anticipate the quality and accuracy of a large model’s predictions, practitioners often turn to scaling laws: using smaller, cheaper models to try to approximate the performance of a much larger target model. The challenge, however, is that there are thousands of ways to create a scaling law.

Fetal SMPL was trained on 20,000 MRI volumes to predict the location and size of a fetus and create sculpture-like 3D representations. The approach could enable doctors to precisely measure things like the size of a baby’s head and compare these metrics with healthy fetuses at the same age (Credits: Alex Shipps and Yingcheng Liu/MIT CSAIL).
CSAIL article
Machine-learning tool gives doctors a more detailed 3D picture of fetal health

For pregnant women, ultrasounds are an informative (and sometimes necessary) procedure. They typically produce two-dimensional black-and-white scans of fetuses that can reveal key insights, including biological sex, approximate size, and abnormalities like heart issues or cleft lip. If your doctor wants a closer look, they may use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which uses magnetic fields to capture images that can be combined to create a 3D view of the fetus.

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Quadrature Tech Talk

The Quant-essential Qualities: Insider Insights for Thriving in Algorithmic Trading

Abstract: The world of quantitative trading is notoriously siloed, secretive, and intensely competitive. In this talk, Hanna and Dan will offer an insider's perspective on quant trading, sharing insights from our firm, and outline the key qualities you can cultivate to excel in the industry.

 

Daniel Goldbach, Quantitative Developer

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RBC Tech Talk

CSAIL Alliances & FinTechAI@CSAIL Board Member Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) Borealis AI Group will be at CSAIL on 9/22 in Kiva to deliver a technical talk from Dr. Greg Mori as well as connect with interested students for job opportunities. 

Talk Title: Foundation Model Challenges and Opportunities in Financial Services

Monday 9/22 in Kiva 32-G449 12-1pm EST.  Food will be served so please register for accurate food order!

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Latimer Futures Summit
Latimer Futures Summit

This event is hosted by Latimer Futures Summit. The event is at capacity and registration is now closed.

Welcome to the Latimer Futures Summit at MIT! Join us for a day filled with inspiring talks, interactive workshops, and networking opportunities with industry experts. Don't miss this chance to gain valuable insights into the future of technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Get ready to be inspired and connect with like-minded individuals shaping the future.

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