CSAIL Alliances Podcasts

Cybersecurity expert and venture capitalist Andy Ellis breaks down why the smartest organizations are using AI to augment their workers, not replace them. Today’s AI systems are best used when they serve as “semi-pro” tools—fast, scalable, surprisingly effective, but still guided by some human oversight. In this conversation, he shares cautionary tales about hallucinations, prompt injections, unintended consequences, and outlines the common pitfalls he already sees companies falling into. You’ll hear: - How to minimize resistance and bring the workforce onboard when deploying AI tools. - Why AI agents should be limited in scope and the advantage of stacking specialized agents which, acting together, enhance productivity and capacity. - Why AI is good for generating content for specific purposes but not good at creating writing, art, or materials which will have lasting impact. - How productivity “nag bots” can help workers get more done. Ellis sees this moment as the next SaaS-level transformation, arguing that the winners of today’s AI arms race will become the trillionaires of tomorrow. Fundamentally, he believes the best way to implement this transformative new technology is to let humans decide and the AIs act. Connect with CSAIL Alliances: On our site: cap.csail.mit.edu/about-us/meet-our-team On X: x.com/csail_alliances On LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/mit-csail

Can your phone make you a safer driver? Or is it part of the problem? MIT CSAIL Professor Sam Madden shares the origin story of Cambridge Mobile Telematics, a CSAIL spinout using smartphones and AI to prevent car crashes and save lives. In this episode, Professor Madden joins host Kara Miller to explore how accelerometers, algorithms, and well-timed incentives are transforming how we understand and improve driver behavior. Professor Madden reflects on surprising data trends, like why crash rates haven’t fallen despite better car tech, and how the ubiquitous smartphone became a key tool for reducing risk on the road. He also dives into how generative AI is reshaping software development, what it means for education and programming skills, and why trust and privacy remain top concerns when deploying AI across sensitive industries. Covering distracted driving, autonomous vehicles, behavioral nudges, and business infrastructure, Professor Madden reveals what’s working and where the road ahead leads. Topics include: The history of Cambridge Mobile Telematics The realities of traffic accidents How your phone can track your driving safety Turning your data into a narrative The corrosive effects of phones Learn more about Professor Madden on his website: https://db.csail.mit.edu/madden/ Or his CSAIL page: https://www.csail.mit.edu/person/sam-madden Read our case study on Cambridge Mobile Telematics: https://cap.csail.mit.edu/sites/default/files/2023-05/CMT_Case%20Study%20Template_2022.pdf Connect with CSAIL Alliances: On our site: https://cap.csail.mit.edu/about-us/meet-our-team On X: https://x.com/csail_alliances On LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/mit-csail

Finches, zebras, Darwin... and AI? 🧠🌍 Two centuries after Darwin explored the Galápagos, artificial intelligence is transforming how we study and protect the natural world, rapidly expanding what’s possible in biodiversity and ecology research. In this episode, MIT CSAIL Assistant Professor Sara Beery explains how AI is unlocking new possibilities in conservation, from identifying endangered species to analyzing ecosystem health at scale. AI can help biologists collect, process, and interpret enormous volumes of data, unlocking patterns and offering insights that were simply not possible without modern technology. Beery shares her journey, from tagging snow leopards in college to leading global research at the intersection of computer vision and ecology. But she sounds a note of caution: AI has no values of its own and must be paired with human values to tackle the complex tradeoffs behind biodiversity decisions. As these tools become more powerful, it’s up to us to decide how they’re used, and what (or who) we prioritize. 🎧 Topics include: Using AI to analyze millions of wildlife images Why computer vision is revolutionizing species identification The ethical dilemmas behind conservation decisions How researchers are using AI to inform policy and protect ecosystems 🔗Learn more about Professor Beery: 🌐 Website: https://beerys.github.io/ or her CSAIL page https://www.csail.mit.edu/person/sara-beery Connect with CSAIL Alliances: On our site: https://cap.csail.mit.edu/about-us/meet-our-team On X: https://x.com/csail_alliances On LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/mit-csail #MITCSAIL #AI #Conservation #Biology #Technology #CSAILPodcast

What happens when every company becomes a tech company—and the geeks take the wheel? Renowned economist, bestselling author, and MIT Principal Research Scientist Andrew McAfee unpacks how AI is transforming corporate strategy—from cement makers to software engineers. Drawing on insights from his book The Geek Way and his startup Workhelix, McAfee shares what he’s hearing from executives around the world, where AI is delivering real ROI, and why understanding how we measure impact is just as important as what we measure. From call centers to material science labs, from spreadsheet power users to the future of education, McAfee examines how generative AI is changing who wins—and how people can avoid getting left behind. He also weighs in on the biggest AI misconceptions, the risks that actually matter, and why Silicon Valley still holds the crown in the age of innovation. Topics include: The management playbook of the future Real-world studies on AI’s impact in the workplace Why AI helps some workers more than others The “credibility revolution” in measuring ROI What companies get wrong about scaling AI Whether writing—and even coding—will still matter in 10 years Andrew McAfee is the Co-Director of the IDE and a Principal Research Scientist at the MIT Sloan School of Management. His research investigates how information technology changes the way companies perform, organize themselves, and compete. He is a NYT bestselling author and writes a widely read blog, which is at times one of the 10,000 most popular in the world. Prior to joining MIT Sloan, McAfee was a professor at Harvard Business School. Connect with CSAIL Alliances: On our site: https://cap.csail.mit.edu/about-us/meet-our-team On X: https://x.com/csail_alliances On LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/mit-csail #MITCSAIL #AI #GenerativeAI #Leadership #Technology #CSAILPodcast

For a full, uncut video version of this show (shot in Professor Andreas' MIT CSAIL office!), watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBV5Bj_NnbA MIT CSAIL Associate Professor Jacob Andreas walks listeners through how LLMs like ChatGPT evolved from academic curiosities to industry-disrupting technologies. Reflecting on the transformations he has observed in AI research, Professor Andreas discusses how some ideas—like linking NLP research to cognitive science—have taken a backseat, while others—like the importance of large-scale training data—remain central. He offers insights on AI use cases, the emergence of models like DeepSeek, and the critical role of human oversight in AI deployment. Acknowledging both the excitement and concerns surrounding AI, Professor Andreas believes that educators and industry alike face a challenge in keeping pace with the ‘moving target’ of AI progress. Plus: learn how AI can be used to decode the language of sperm whales! About the guest: Professor Andreas is an MIT EECS Associate Professor and CSAIL PI. Before joining MIT, he earned his PhD at Berkeley. His group's research focuses on three themes: building machine learning models that learn language in human-like ways, enabling the use of language as a general-purpose tool for building intelligent systems, and developing techniques for understanding machine learning models using language. His group envisions a future built around training, explaining, and interacting with intelligent systems for users of all the world's languages. Learn more about Professor Jacob Andreas and his research here: https://www.mit.edu/~jda/ Want to know more about Professor Andreas' work on the language of sperm whales? Read here: https://news.mit.edu/2024/csail-ceti-explores-sperm-whale-alphabet-0507 MIT's CSAIL Alliances Podcast is your guide to how AI & computer science research impact how we live, work, play, and learn. Listener discounts, meet the host, and more: csail.mit.edu/podcast