• Login
  • Register

Work for a Member company and need a Member Portal account? Register here with your company email address.

Event

Curiosity | Spring Member Event 2025

Copyright

James Day

James Day

Spring Member Event:
Curiosity: Igniting innovation + shaping the future

Curiosity is the spark that drives discovery, fuels innovation, and transforms the world. At the MIT Media Lab, curiosity fuels an interdisciplinary approach to addressing some of the world's most pressing challenges. This event will celebrate and explore how the Lab's ethos of curiosity and relentless pursuit of knowledge shapes the future of technology, society, and sustainability.

Curiosity is not just an emotion; it is a practice, a methodology, and a guiding principle. It is the persistent questioning of "why?" and "what if?," coupled with the courage to imagine, create, and invent. Unbridled curiosity leads us to great breakthroughs and down blind alleys. The world needs both.

AHA!  One-day conference on designing AI to support human flourishing (April 10)

AI is here to stay, but how do we ensure that people flourish in a world of ubiquitous AI? To address this timely and critical question, the Media Lab is launching a multi-faculty, multi-year research program called AHA! (for Advancing Human-AI Interaction research program) that will aim to bring insights and new perspectives to the hard questions we should be asking ourselves today: what future with AI do we want to live in, and how can we design and deploy AI systems that improve the human experience and help people flourish? Consortium members and Lab supporters will automatically have access to all of the activities and outputs of the program. They will also be invited to get more closely involved in particular projects and topics and suggest specific challenges or research directions for us to work on. 

Why you should come

Technology is shaping life with unprecedented speed and force. These three days offer a unique opportunity to explore and invent how we can flourish in the coming era. The strength of the Media Lab comes from the boundary-less, unbridled curiosity of its community members, which multiplies when paired with the interests and potential for future industries. This hands-on meeting is your chance to engage with ongoing research and help shape our shared future.

Agenda

The agenda is subject to change. New information will be updated regularly. Bookmark this page to stay up-to-date.

April 8, 2025

8:00 AM:  Check-in + Breakfast | E14 lobby + E14 6th floor (multi-purpose room) 

9:00 AM: Director's Welcome | E14 6th floor (multi-purpose room)

9:15 AM: Rising Stars: Student Spotlight | E14 6th floor (multi-purpose room)
This session puts a spotlight on a few of our students and researchers, who will have the chance to share their work so far.  

10:00 AM: Break

10:30 AM: Member to Member Session  | E14 6th floor (multi-purpose room)
This session is a guided opportunity to meet the fellow members sitting next to you and hear from your colleagues.

11:30 AM: Break 

12:00 PM:  ML Programs Panel  | E14 6th floor (multi-purpose room)

Hear from representatives of the Media Lab's newly launched WHx,  sAIpien, and AHA! Programs.

1:00 PM:  Lunch | E14 6th floor 

2:00 PM: Research Futures: Lightning Updates from Faculty + PIs | E14 6th floor (multi-purpose room)
Faculty + Principal Investigators (PIs) for each research group will provide updates on the key research areas within their groups since we convened last fall.

5:00 PM: Reception | E14 6th floor (multi-purpose room) 


April 9, 2025

8:00 AM:  Check-in + Breakfast| E14 lobby + E14 6th floor (multi-purpose room) 

9:00 AM: Introduction:  Curiosity | E14 6th floor (multi-purpose room)
Director Dava Newman welcomes you back to the Lab, and shares her thoughts on why curiosity matters, as we near the halfway point of the Media Lab's 40th anniversary year. 

9:20 AM: Keynote | E14 6th floor (multi-purpose room)
Keynote speaker to be announced. 

10:00 AM:  Concurrent Session(s) | E14 + E15

12:00 PM:  Lunch | E14 6th floor 

1:00 PM: Concurrent Session(s) | E14 + E15

3:00 PM: Open Lab Exploration + Demos | E14 + E15
Meet the cutting-edge researchers in their group labs! Watch demos, ask questions, and get inspired.

5:00 PM: Reception | E14 lobby 


*April 10, 2025

*One-day conference on designing AI to support human flourishing

You may register for this day-long conference through the same form for the spring member event.

Presented by the AHA! Program, led by Professor Pattie Maes and researcher Pat Pataranutaporn

AI is here to stay, but how do we ensure that people flourish in a world of pervasive AI? This one-day conference brings together Media Lab and invited speakers with the goal of discussing what is arguably one of the most important questions of our time: what future with AI do we want to live in, and how can we design and deploy AI that improves the human experience? More details around the program will be announced shortly. For more information, please email events@media.mit.edu. 

Registration

What to expect

This event offers a unique blend of inspiration, collaboration, and hands-on exploration designed to ignite your imagination and equip you with actionable insights. Through dynamic presentations, engaging discussions, and immersive experiences, attendees will uncover how curiosity fuels breakthroughs at the intersection of disciplines and industries.

  • Keynote: Thought leaders from the Media Lab and industry experts will share their vision and strategies for curiosity in the workplace.
  • Networking: Connect with peers, potential collaborators, and Media Lab researchers to exchange ideas and explore collaborations.
  • Open Lab exploration: Experience cutting-edge projects and technologies developed at the Media Lab that exemplify the power of curiosity.

Why you should attend

This event offers a unique opportunity to experience the MIT Media Lab's pioneering approach to innovation and collaboration.

  1. Experience curiosity in action: See how the Lab's curiosity-driven mindset transforms challenges into groundbreaking solutions that blend art, science, engineering, and design.
  2. Explore breakthroughs across disciplines: Discover innovations in AI, decentralized systems, bionics, and sustainability, reshaping what's possible.
  3. Engage with visionary minds: Meet researchers and leaders at the forefront of redefining health, creativity, and technology.
  4. Be part of ethical innovation: Learn how the Lab integrates equity, ethics, and global impact into every project.
  5. Shape a better tomorrow: Collaborate with a community tackling urgent global challenges and creating solutions for the future.

This is your chance to join the movement shaping our world the Media Lab way.

Curiosity is not just a force for individual enlightenment; it is a collective power that can transform organizations, societies, and the future of our planet. At the Media Lab, curiosity is a way of life—a shared belief that together, we can build a better tomorrow. 

Join us to celebrate and embrace curiosity as a force for change and innovation.

More Events