MIT FutureTech
How Fast will AI Automation Happen?
October 23rd - 24th, 2025
MIT Schwarzman College of Computing
51 Vassar St, 8th floor, Cambridge, MA 02139
SpeakersAgendaLocationsContact

This conference, organized by MIT FutureTech in collaboration with the NYU Stern Center for the Future of Management, aims to explore the impact of AI on the automation of science and the labor market as well as the drivers and constraints of AI progress.

Conference Sessions
Session 1: The Drivers and Consequences of AI Progress
This session explores key factors driving AI progress, such as hardware of software advancements and platform innovations, and discusses how AI progress affects the economy.
Session 2: Automation of Science
This session explores how AI adoption is transforming scientific research, from developing and deploying foundation models in multiple scientific domains to the impact of AI on creativity, discovery, and innovation, as well as how AI can improve AI itself.
Session 3: Automation in the labor market and economy
This session focuses on how AI adoption is reshaping firms’ practices, workforce needs, and overall economic dynamics, including whether AI substitutes for or complements human labor.
Session 4: Constraints to AI Progress
This session discusses constraints on AI development, constraints that should be applied to AI, and constraints to the widespread adoption of AI.

Speakers

Hosts

Agenda

Thursday, October 23rd
9:00 AM
Kickoff
Session 1:
The Drivers and Consequences of AI Progress
9:30 AM
TBA
Kristina McElheran
University of Toronto
10:15 AM
"From AI Scientist to Self-Improving AI"
Yutaro Yamada
Sakana AI
11:00 AM
Break
11:15 AM
"The Role of Open Models in the AI Economy"
A headshot of Frank Nagle
Frank Nagle
MIT
12:00 PM
TBA
A headshot of Gary Marcus
Gary Marcus
New York University
12:45 PM
Lunch
Session 2:
Automation of Science
1:45 PM
Introduction to Session 2
2:00 PM
TBA
A headshot of Karianne J Bergen
Karianne J Bergen
Brown University
2:45 PM
"Accelerating Drug Discovery Through Cell Painting: A Blueprint for AI Adoption in Biology"
A headshot of Shantanu Singh
Shantanu Singh
The Broad Institute
3:30 PM
Break
3:45 PM
TBA
Patrick Ruch
IBM
4:30 PM
TBA
Tamara Broderick
MIT
5:15 PM
Adjourned
6:30 PM
Dinner at Catalyst Restaurant
Friday, October 24th
9:00 AM
Kickoff
Session 3:
Automation in the Labor Market and Economy
9:15 AM
TBA
David Autor
MIT
10:00 AM
"How People Use ChatGPT"
David Deming
Harvard Kennedy School
10:45 AM
Break
11:00 AM
"AI Reality Check: Insights from the Frontlines of Adoption"
Beena Ammanath
Deloitte AI Institute
11:45 AM
TBA
Yilun Du
Harvard University
12:30 PM
Lunch
Session 4:
Constraints to AI Progress
1:30 PM
Introduction to Session 4
1:45 PM
"AI Capabilities and Potential Bottlenecks"
Ben Jones
Northwestern University
2:30 PM
"Get Ready for the AI Memory Wall"
Anna Li
Meta
3:15 PM
Break
3:30 PM
TBA
Luciano Floridi
Yale University
4:15 PM
TBA
Elsa Olivetti
MIT
5:00 PM
Closing remarks
5:15 PM
Adjourned
6:30 PM
Dinner at Row 34

Locations

51 Vassar St, 8th floor, Cambridge, MA 02139
Catalyst Restaurant
300 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA 02139
Row 34 Restaurant
314 Main St, Cambridge, MA 02142

Contact

This workshop is organized by the FutureTech team (Neil Thompson, Emanuele Del Sozzo, Matthias Mertens, Lucy Yan, and Shiobhain Warren-Jenkins) and the NYU Stern Center for the Future of Management (Robert Seamans).
For questions or more information, reach out to mmertens@mit.edu or call Shiobhain +1 617-869‑7749

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