MIT SHASS Marks 75th Anniversary as Symposium Probes AI's Impact on Teaching and Society
Updated
Updated · MIT News · Oct 23
MIT SHASS Marks 75th Anniversary as Symposium Probes AI's Impact on Teaching and Society
2 articles · Updated · MIT News · Oct 23
Summary
A two-day MIT SHASS symposium on Sept. 24-25 used the school’s 75th anniversary to spotlight how artificial intelligence is reshaping education, research and public life.
MIT leaders framed that debate as central to the school’s mission, with President Sally Kornbluth and Provost Anantha Chandrakasan arguing that rapid AI-driven change demands a more human-centered approach to technology.
Faculty sessions pushed that theme into practice: Eric Klopfer said AI requires rethinking the educational experience, while Sherry Turkle warned chatbots threaten human attachment and David Autor called the stakes unusually high.
The event also showcased SHASS’s broader role through teaching programs, alumni research on endangered languages and global mental health, and performances spanning theater, dance, choir and jazz.
Founded after a 1949 call to better integrate technical and humanistic study, SHASS cast the anniversary less as a retrospective than as a case for humanities, arts and social sciences in an AI era.