Mens, Manus and Machina: How AI Empowers People, Institutions and the City in Singapore (M3S)

The Singapore MIT-Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), MIT’s research enterprise in Singapore, has launched a new interdisciplinary research group aimed at tackling key social and institutional challenges around the rise of artificial intelligence and other new technologies. The group, known as Mens, Manus and Machina: How AI Empowers People, Institutions and the City in Singapore (M3S), aims to advance knowledge in these fields and foster collaborative research that generates positive impact for society in Singapore and the world.

Seeking to redefine the boundaries of AI, automation, and robotics through interdisciplinary research, knowledge sharing, and impactful collaborations, SMART M3S endeavors to design inclusive, resilient, and innovative solutions that empower individuals, institutions, and cities. By exploring the intricate relationship between human capabilities, emerging technologies, and societal structures, it is envisioned that SMART M3S will drive scientific, societal, and commercial impact in Singapore and beyond.

In line with Singapore’s Smart Nation initiative and its National AI Strategy, the project will embark on an ambitious five-year endeavor supported by a multimillion-dollar grant from the National Research Foundation of Singapore under its Campus for Research Excellence And Technological Enterprise program.

Bringing together a diverse team of 17 professors from MIT and institutions in Singapore, SMART M3S will draw expertise from local researchers from Singapore Management University (SMU), Singapore University of Technology and Design, the National University of Singapore, and the National Robotics Program of Singapore. M3S will be guided by lead principal investigator Jinhua Zhao of MIT, co-lead principal investigator Daniela Rus of MIT, and co-lead principal investigator Archan Misra of SMU.

Through interdisciplinary research, knowledge sharing, and impactful collaborations, SMART M3S will explore the intricate interplay between human capabilities, emerging technologies, and societal structures, paving the way for designing inclusive, resilient, and innovative solutions that empower individuals, institutions, and cities in Singapore. By engaging with Singaporean collaborators, SMART M3S hopes to enhance Singapore’s ability to create forward-looking AI policies, invigorate Singapore’s economic standing within AI, and support local workforce training and mentorship on AI topics.