Communications of the ACM
Q+a With the First Female Director of Mit's Largest Research Lab
To director Daniela Rus, the goal of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory is "to invent the future of computing."
Credit: Forbes
In an interview, Daniela Rus discusses her objectives and the digital revolution as the first female director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL).
Rus describes CSAIL's work as pushing the envelope of computing for more than five decades, achieving pioneering milestones in the digital revolution. "Our goal is to invent the future of computing," with an overarching push to advance the science of autonomy, Rus says.
She notes CSAIL projects are prioritized based on how well they could address real-world challenges, and all lab initiatives are linked by the common theme of "discovering new ways to make computers smarter, easier to use, more secure, and more efficient."
Recent project areas Rus cites include big data and cybersecurity, and she says CSAIL is intensely focused on collaborating with other labs on topics MIT has prioritized, such as computation and healthcare.
Rus stresses her conviction that everyone should have the ability to apply computing to problem solving, and she notes robots in particular can entice children to develop an interest in math and science. Rus argues computational thinking should be a mandatory educational component in all grades including kindergarten, with an emphasis on hands-on projects.
From Forbes
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