Research collective to explore AI, automation, future of work

SINGAPORE CITY, SINGAPORE — The Singapore MIT-Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) has inaugurated a novel interdisciplinary research collective, SMART M3S, to address hurdles and expedite developments in AI and new technologies. 

This initiative aligns seamlessly with Singapore’s Smart Nation plan and the National AI Strategy, supplementing the nation’s commitment to productive collaborative research.

Over the next half-decade, the M3S team, supported by a substantial grant from the National Research Foundation (NRF), will bring together 17 esteemed professors from MIT and Singapore to cultivate fruitful human-machine synergy in the workplace and beyond. 

This initiative is the first to integrate robotics and AI research with human capital development, economic growth, and public acceptability.

M3S will direct its focus toward human-machine interfaces, fundamental aspects of machine learning, and the implications of AI for human and societal capital development, among other things. The group’s research will significantly contribute to advancements in soft robotics, learning algorithms, sustainable technology, and the public’s acceptance of robotics and AI.

SMART M3S Co-lead Investigator and MIT Professor Daniela Rus said, “The M3S collaboration between MIT and Singapore, through SMART, will break new ground in our understanding of AI’s impact on the future of work.”

“By harnessing our collective expertise and innovative spirit, we aim to advance the state of the art in AI and turn this technological advancement into an engine for human potential and societal progress,” Rus added.