Pioneers of AI What humans get (and don’t get) from AI, with MIT’s Pattie Maes
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Jul 2, 2025 
Pattie Maes, a leading MIT Media Lab professor, focuses on how AI can enhance human well-being. She discusses the potential of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and advocates for an inclusive approach to AI development. Key topics include the ethical implications of recommendation algorithms, the importance of personal connections while using AI, and future advancements in context-aware technologies. Maes shares insights on how AI can foster personal growth and improve human interactions, emphasizing that technology should support, not replace, our relationships.
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Enhancing Recommendation Diversity
- When building recommendation systems, include diverse suggestions beyond usual preferences.
- Encourage exploration and alert users to how unique their tastes are to avoid echo chambers.
Incentives Skew AI Usage
- Commercial incentives can distort AI technologies, leading to user manipulation.
- User engagement maximization may push content that reinforces extremes, not well-being.
AI as Socratic Tutor
- Patti’s group built AI that acts as a Socratic tutor rather than giving direct answers.
- It asks students questions to engage critical thinking and learning, not just providing answers.