Bridging Disciplines: MIT’s Approach to Solving Societal Challenges with AI
In an increasingly interconnected world, complex problems like climate change, pandemics, and AI regulation demand solutions that transcend traditional academic boundaries. Munther Dahleh, a professor at MIT, recognized the need for a more integrated approach, leading to the creation of MIT’s Institute for Data, Systems, and Society (IDSS). Dahleh’s new book, “Data, Systems, and Society: Harnessing AI for Societal Good,” details the institute’s journey and vision.
Dahleh emphasizes the importance of breaking down disciplinary silos to foster lasting collaborations. His book is aimed at students and researchers tackling societal challenges using AI and data science, guiding them on how to approach these complex issues.
A central concept guiding IDSS is “the triangle,” representing the interaction of physical systems, people, and policy. Data acts as the connecting circle, influencing and being influenced by each component. Considering this triangle is crucial when addressing societal problems to ensure solutions are ethical and inclusive.
The COVID-19 pandemic serves as a prime example, illustrating the interplay of biology, social behavior, and political decision-making. IDSS became a pivotal convening place during the pandemic due to its interdisciplinary approach.
Dahleh also addresses ethical considerations in AI, using self-driving cars as an example where seemingly ethical programming decisions can have unintended negative consequences. He distinguishes “transdisciplinary” research from cross-disciplinary efforts, highlighting the need for lasting structures like IDSS to create a culture of integrated thinking.
IDSS aims to provide a stable environment with shared resources, journals, and a sense of community, ensuring students interact with all relevant principles simultaneously. The doctoral program includes core courses from statistics, optimization theory, computation, social sciences, and humanities.
Having stepped down from IDSS leadership, Dahleh hopes his book will document the institute’s creation and vision, providing historical insights into how such an interdisciplinary entity came to be.
The book, he says, is “kind of leading people into how all of this came together, in hindsight. I want to have people read this and sort of understand it from a historical perspective, how something like this happened, and I did my best to make it as understandable and simple as I could.”
