Why the MIT Stephen A. Schwarzman College of Computing is Such a Big Deal
This past week we celebrated the launch of the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing. It was a groundbreaking event representing a $1 billion commitment to addressing the global opportunities and challenges presented by the prevalence of computing and the rise of artificial intelligence. It also highlights the unique approach that the East Coast brings to frontier technologies and one that further enhances Massachusetts’ position in leading the future of AI.
For decades, MIT has been pushing the boundaries of the possible, solving the unsolvable, and creating the foundation of technologies that have shaped the world. From chips, programming languages, personal computers, networking, to robotics, MIT has invented our future as we know it. AI is no different. Marvin Minsky and John McCormack notably pioneered the field and left a legacy that still drives how we think about, research and develop AI. At Glasswing, we have backed several leading MIT founders and work with MIT luminaries on our advisory board, and I can say the contribution MIT has made to advancing the AI ecosystem is monumental. From Tim Berners-Lee decentralizing the web so we can ensure our privacy and protection, to Abhi Yadav driving the future of personalization, to Tal Tchwella, reinventing risk management or Cory Siskind making emerging markets safer, MIT founders are notoriously bold and ingenious in driving change.
Today, computing and connectivity are pervasive and, due to the ingenuity of people who have followed the steps of Minsky and McCormack, so is AI. The MIT Schwarzman College of Computing is an acknowledgment of the potential that AI holds and the role it will play in our lives. MIT is again putting its foot forward and creating the future. The College’s integrated interdisciplinary approach to AI is a unique approach and giant step forward to a better future. AI is powering the future across domains and MIT’s plan to blend AI with other fields creates a cross-pollination of ideas with unlimited potential. By integrating AI into the broader DNA of its curricula, MIT is creating a unique set of academic offerings and empowering students with an AI-enabled future. It is accelerating the trajectory for how AI can transform society for the better across various fields of study.
This launch is taking place at a time in which the pervasiveness of AI raises paramount ethical considerations around its adoption and development. MIT’s commitment to exploring ethics in AI will help educate the pioneers of tomorrow and establish the necessary standards to enable an AI future that unlocks human potential in a safe manner that is beneficial for all.
The MIT Schwarzman College of Computing is a direct response to clear trends both inside and outside MIT. Inside MIT, students are choosing to study computer science in increasing numbers. About 40 percent of MIT undergraduates now major either in computer science alone or in joint programs combining computer science with another field. Externally, the digital fraction of the global economy has been growing much faster than the economy as a whole — and computing and AI are increasingly woven into every part of the global economy. According to a recent report by PwC, AI contributed $2 trillion to global GDP last year and by 2030, it is projected to contribute as much as $15.7 trillion. To realize this kind of growth, strategic investment in AI has to happen in the private and public sector — investment that America must take a leadership role in, if it is to maintain its technological edge.
By investing in the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing, MIT is creating a place where a unified view of AI’s potential can be studied, where the next generation of students and researchers can learn about how it will reshape society and how to best harness it. At Glasswing Ventures, as venture capitalists focused on investing in the next generation of AI startups, and the founders and innovators who are building transformational businesses, today’s launch aligns with our own mission to grow, shape and build a robust ecosystem in Boston and on the East Coast, helping support entrepreneurs and ensure a vibrant future.
The graduating class of 2026 will be the first of many more to come who will benefit from MIT’s groundbreaking launch this week and the role it will play in our collective futures. MIT’s academic prowess is creating a holistic approach to teaching and researching AI within the world’s context, and it will help bring about AI’s adoption faster, better and more safely.
