Introduction to AI2050 Fellows
Two current MIT affiliates and seven additional alumni are among those named to the 2025 cohort of AI2050 Fellows. This prestigious recognition is awarded by Schmidt Sciences, a nonprofit organization founded by Eric and Wendy Schmidt to accelerate scientific knowledge and breakthroughs.
About the AI2050 Fellows
The AI2050 Fellows include Zongyi Li, a postdoc in the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab, and Tess Smidt, an associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science. Seven additional MIT alumni were also honored, including Brian Hie, Natasha Mary Jaques, Martin Anton Schrimpf, Lindsey Raymond, Ellen Dee Zhong, Surya Ganguli, and Luke Zettlemoyer.
Current MIT Affiliates
Zongyi Li is a postdoc in CSAIL working with associate professor of EECS Kaiming He. Li’s research focuses on developing neural operator methods to accelerate scientific computing. He received his PhD in computing and mathematical sciences from Caltech and has been supported by several fellowships, including a Kortschak Scholarship and an Nvidia Fellowship.
Tess Smidt is the principal investigator of the Atomic Architects group at the Research Laboratory of Electronics (RLE). She works at the intersection of physics, geometry, and machine learning to design algorithms that aid in the understanding of physical systems under physical and geometric constraints.
MIT Alumni
The seven additional MIT alumni who were honored include:
- Brian Hie SM ’19, PhD ’21
- Natasha Mary Jaques PhD ’20
- Martin Anton Schrimpf PhD ’22
- Lindsey Raymond SM ’19, PhD ’24
- Ellen Dee Zhong PhD ’22
- Surya Ganguli ’98, MNG ’98
- Luke Zettlemoyer SM ’03, PhD ’09
About Schmidt Sciences
Schmidt Sciences is a nonprofit organization that prioritizes research in areas poised for impact, including AI and advanced computing, astrophysics, biosciences, climate, and space. The organization supports researchers in a variety of disciplines through its science systems program.
The AI2050 Initiative
Conceived and co-chaired by Eric Schmidt and James Manyika, AI2050 is a philanthropic initiative aimed at helping to solve hard problems in AI. Each fellow will contend with the central motivating question of AI2050: “It’s 2050. AI has turned out to be hugely beneficial to society. What happened? What are the most important problems we solved and the opportunities and possibilities we realized to ensure this outcome?”
Conclusion
The recognition of these MIT affiliates and alumni as AI2050 Fellows is a testament to their innovative research and contributions to the field of AI. Their work has the potential to drive significant breakthroughs and advancements in the years to come.
FAQs
Q: What is the AI2050 initiative?
A: AI2050 is a philanthropic initiative aimed at helping to solve hard problems in AI.
Q: Who are the current MIT affiliates recognized as AI2050 Fellows?
A: Zongyi Li and Tess Smidt are the current MIT affiliates recognized as AI2050 Fellows.
Q: What is Schmidt Sciences?
A: Schmidt Sciences is a nonprofit organization that prioritizes research in areas poised for impact, including AI and advanced computing, astrophysics, biosciences, climate, and space.
Q: How many MIT alumni were honored as AI2050 Fellows?
A: Seven MIT alumni were honored as AI2050 Fellows.
