Overview
Join our MAS.664 AI for Impact: Venture Studio class. The rapid developments in AI can enable or accelerate major positive impact throughout the world. This semester’s course will be structured as a "Venture Studio" with mentors and engagement with Scientists, VCs, CEOs and Academics. The course will focus on opportunities in the broad sectors of digital health, sustainability and mobility with data and AI centric technologies such as identity, privacy-tech, foundation models, blockchain, VR/AR and Web3. Follow these steps to register for the course.
- Step 0: Register for course : For MIT (Link), For Harvard (Link)
- Step 1: Questionnaire (Link 1) before February 15th
- Step 2: Finishing the Online AI blockchain course (Link 2) by February 16th
You must finish Step 1 to attend the first class. You will be expected to finish Step 2 and upload the snapshot that you’ve finished the course. If you have finished a degree course or have a professional background in these areas, you do not need to finish the online course. Please sign up for future updates and share them with your colleagues and on your mailing lists.
- Sign up for future updates: (Link)
- Socials: (Link 1, Link 2)
- Facebook group: (Link)
- LinkedIn group: (Link)
Class Schedule: Thursdays 10 AM -12 noon in room E14-633 at MIT Media Lab starting February 6th
Faculty
Leaders
Mentors
Background
This long running course has led to many spin offs including Dimagi, Cogito, Prosperia, Ginger, Sanergy, and nonprofit PathCheck Foundation.
Our previous class links:
- Fall'23: AI + Web3 for Impact: Venture Studio
- Spring'23: AI + Web3 for Impact: Venture Studio
- Fall'22: AI + Web3 for Impact: Venture Studio
- Spring'22: AI for Impact: Venture Studio
- Fall'21: AI for Impact ~ Building Global Ventures Solving Societal-Scale Problems
- Spring'21: AI for Impact
- Fall'20: Global Ventures ~ Data and AI for Resilience after COVID19
- Spring'20: AI for Impact ~ Towards Solving Societal-Scale Problems via Media Ventures
All other previous AI for Impact/Global Ventures class links can be found here:
Course Outline
Class Goals:
- Venture Studio format for-credit course where instructors seed and stimulate high-impact, high-value projects that are attractive for the best engineering, design, and builder students
- Advance "Big Ideas" into MVP-seed-stage commercial consideration
Timeline:
- Meet and Greet held at MIT/Harvard
- First day of class: 6, 2025
- Mid-term review: March 14, 2025
- Final Class Presentations and “Demo Day” awards: May 9, 2025
Class Structure:
- Venture studio format, with team projects with 5-8 students per team
- Guest speakers share leading-edge thinking
- Minimum Viable Product (MVP) by the end of the term
- Demo Day
Support for Students:
- Weekly class mentor meetings on Thursday after class / guest lectures / work sessions
- Class visits to local start-ups and technology companies
- Data and AI scientists from startups for experience
- Sessions with startup coaches
Funding:
- Teams will receive milestone-based seed funds
Agenda
All times are listed in Eastern Standard Time (EST)
February 5, 2025
Meet & Greet 1: Course pre-meetup
Registration Link: (Link)
Join us to meet instructors and understand the pre-homework, timeline and expectations.
February 5, 2025
February 6, 2025
First day of class
MIT Media Lab, E14-633
February 13, 2025
Second Session of Class
February 20, 2025
Third Session of Class
February 27, 2025
Fourth Session of Class
March 6, 2025
Fifth Session of Class
March 13, 2025
Sixth Session of Class
Midterm
March 20, 2025
Seventh Session of Class
March 27, 2025
Eighth Session of Class
Individual Meeting
April 3, 2025
Ninth Session of Class
April 10, 2025
Tenth Session of Class
April 17, 2025
Eleventh Session of Class
April 24, 2025
Twelfth Session of Class
May 1, 2025
Thirteenth Session of Class
May 8, 2025
Final Class
Student final deliverables presentation
Social Event
Hosted at MIT Media Lab
Slides from Spring 2024 Demo Day at the Media Lab
Fall 2024 Demo Day at the Media Lab