At the MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (SHASS) 75th Anniversary Symposium, speakers reflected on the school’s legacy and examined how artificial intelligence is reshaping teaching, research, and society. The two‑day event took place on September 24‑25 in the Thomas Tull Concert Hall of the Linde Music Building, drawing scholars, students, staff, and alumni from across MIT.
MIT President Sally Kornbluth opened with a reminder that AI’s rapid emergence poses massive research and educational challenges, echoing the uncertainty that surrounded the school’s post‑World‑War‑II founding. She stressed that MIT now needs humanistic insight more than ever.
Provost Anantha Chandrakasan highlighted a human‑centered approach to technology, citing the MIT Human Insight Collaborative launched in 2024, and argued that in an AI‑driven era the arts, humanities, and social sciences remain essential.
Former SHASS dean Melissa Nobles recalled positive student feedback, noting that humanities courses capture interests that STEM professors often miss.
Kenan Sahin Dean of SHASS and philosophy professor Agustín Rayo warned against measuring the school’s worth solely by practical outcomes; instead, it should help us ask “what is worth doing,” “what do we owe each other,” and “what makes life meaningful.”
The symposium featured research talks, panels, and performances. Day 1 focused on teaching innovation, showcasing the MIT Indigenous Languages Initiative, the Master in Data, Economics, and Design of Policy (DEDP), and the global experience hub MISTI. Associate Professor Stephanie Seed argued for reintegrating classic literature, while Professor Eric Klopfer urged a re‑examination of the entire educational experience, not just curriculum tweaks.
In the “Computing and Society” session, Professor D. Fox Harrell noted that an AI system’s meaning comes from the narratives we assign to it, Sherry Turkle warned that chatbots may erode human attachment, and Economics Department head David Autor described AI’s societal impact as unprecedented.
The arts showcase featured an excerpt from Stan Lai’s “A Dream Like A Dream,” Dan Safer’s choreography “Variations on the Theme of SHASS 75,” and performances by student ensembles, illustrating the fusion of human creativity and technological advancement.
Day 2 highlighted alumni perspectives. Jessica Coon discussed MIT Linguistics’ leadership in endangered‑language preservation, while Ankita Reddy explained how interdisciplinary courses shaped her view of health care across cultural contexts.
A closing panel examined AI’s role in art. Associate Professor Sandy Alexandre asked, “What does it mean to be an upgraded human?” and philosopher Justin Khoo likened AI to a “giant paintbrush,” foreseeing three sub‑genres: human‑only, AI‑infused, and pure‑AI art.
The symposium concluded with Kent Sahin’s praise, noting that SHASS is uniquely positioned to address AI, climate change, and social transformation.
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