Building 32 from MIT CSAIL Alliances

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Oct 2026

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Welcome to Building 32 from MIT CSAIL Alliances. Building 32 is the iconic Stata Center, home to the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) where hundreds of curious researchers are building the future of computing. On Building 32, we go behind the research to explore the ideas, breakthroughs, and people behind MIT's largest lab, from technologies already shaping our lives to the discoveries still ahead. Stay ahead of the curve on AI and the future of computing with new episodes released the second Monday of every month.

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October 13, 202627 min

How a Mathematician Keeps Computers Honest

Yael Tauman Kalai is a computer scientist who doesn’t code. Instead, this MIT CSAIL professor uses mathematics and cryptography to tackle some of computing’s biggest security questions: How can we know if a message is secure or if an LLM answer is correct? What does it mean to know anything when it comes to computation and trust? Professor Kalai’s work is setting the stage for verifiable, provable AI training, as well as keeping us safe in a post-quantum world. Learn what she thinks about the future of cryptography and why she sleeps well at night. Learn more about Yael Kalai Spotlight: https://cap.csail.mit.edu/engage/spotlights/yael-kalai Building 32 episodes, meet the host, and more: csail.mit.edu/podcast Connect with CSAIL Alliances: On our site: cap.csail.mit.edu/about-us/meet-our-team On LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/mit-csail #QuantumComputing #Encryption #Cybersecurity #Cryptography #Technology #ComputerScience #Quantum #MIT

September 14, 202627 min

Materially Efficient: Knitting, Coding, and Concrete

What if the future of sustainable construction looked less like traditional building and more like knitting? Speaking with Building 32 host Karen Given, MIT CSAIL Assistant Professor Mariana Popescu explains how, using a combination of computational design, digital fabrication, and industrial knitting machines, she is rethinking how we build complex structures. Her research explores using knitted textiles as lightweight, efficient concrete formworks, allowing architects and engineers to create complex geometries while using less material and producing less waste. Mariana discusses the origins of her work with fabric formwork, her early experiments with knitted structures, and how a small knitted bridge helped demonstrate the potential of the technique. She also explains why sustainability doesn't have to come at the expense of beauty or human experience. Episode Resources: More about Necto: https://necto-venice.com/ Biennale Architettura 2025: https://www.labiennale.org/it/architettura/2025 KnitCandela in Mexico City: https://maadpope.com/knitcandela/ See the piece Mariana showed Karen: https://maadpope.com/knitcrete/ Learn more about Mariana Popescu: Personal website: https://maadpope.com Spotlight: https://cap.csail.mit.edu/engage/spotlights/mariana-popescu Building 32 episodes, meet the host, and more: csail.mit.edu/podcast Connect with CSAIL Alliances: On our site: cap.csail.mit.edu/about-us/meet-our-team On LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/mit-csail #MITCSAIL #Building32 #Architecture #SustainableDesign #ComputationalDesign #DigitalFabrication #AI #Engineering

August 10, 202628 min

Why AI Still Can't Load the Dishwasher

When The Jetsons imagined life in 2062, Rosie the robot maid seemed like pure science fiction. Today, chatbots can answer questions, analyze data and even crack jokes. But they still can't load the dishwasher. In this episode of Building 32, MIT CSAIL associate professor Vincent Sitzmann explains why building AI that understands and interacts with the physical world is a fundamentally different challenge. Sitzmann explains why today's AI still struggles with seemingly simple physical tasks and how researchers are teaching machines to see, predict, and interact with the world around them. In this episode: 00:00 - Intro 03:50 - From electrical engineering to computer science 05:05 - What is computer vision? 08:32 - Limitations of computer vision 09:41 - How do we fix the limitations of computer vision? 12:41 - Why can’t LLMs solve computer vision? 18:31 - How robots can learn like babies 20:57 - The future of robots in homes 23:59 - Continual learning and exploration 27:25 - Outro Episode Resources: 😃Learn more about Vincent Sitzmann: https://www.vincentsitzmann.com/ 🎥And the Scene Representation Group: https://scenerepresentations.org/ 📖Read the Nature article Karen referenced: https://bit.ly/45NzH7q 🤖Watch the Jetsons and meet Rosie: https://bit.ly/4bzEHjB Building 32 episodes, meet the host, and more: csail.mit.edu/podcast Connect with CSAIL Alliances: On our site: cap.csail.mit.edu/about-us/meet-our-team On LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/mit-csail #MIT #CSAIL #Building32 #ArtificialIntelligence #Robotics #TechInnovation #FutureOfAI #Podcast

July 13, 202632 min

Internet Pioneer David Clark’s Lessons for the AI Age

Long before smartphones, social media, or ChatGPT, researchers at MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) helped lay the groundwork for the modern internet. In this episode of Building 32, MIT CSAIL senior research scientist, internet pioneer and former Chief Protocol Architect David Clark reflects on those early days and explains how a network designed to connect computers became a force that reshaped society. More than fifty years later, Clark is applying those same instincts to Artificial Intelligence. He argues that the biggest challenges aren't about algorithms—they're about power, incentives, and human behavior. Episodes, listener discounts, meet the host, and more can be found here: csail.mit.edu/podcast Connect with CSAIL Alliances: On our site: cap.csail.mit.edu/about-us/meet-our-team On LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/mit-csail #MIT #CSAIL #Building32 #ArtificialIntelligence #InternetHistory #TechInnovation #FutureOfAI #Podcast

June 29, 20262 min

Announcing Building 32, from MIT CSAIL Alliances

MIT has a new podcast. Announcing Building 32, from MIT CSAIL Alliances. Behind every technological breakthrough is a story. From email to the fax machine to the Roomba and even OkCupid, innovations that shape our daily lives trace back to MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, or MIT CSAIL. And technology that is years ahead of the market is being developed in CSAIL labs now. Tune into Building 32 from MIT CSAIL Alliances, hosted by Karen Given, to hear the stories of CSAIL. Each episode features conversations with pioneers who helped define the digital age or researchers shaping tomorrow’s AI, robotics, computing, and beyond. Subscribe now. The first episode launches July 13, 2026. Learn more: csail.mit.edu/podcast Connect with CSAIL Alliances: On our site: cap.csail.mit.edu/about-us/meet-our-team On LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/mit-csail #MIT #CSAIL #ArtificialIntelligence #Robotics #ComputerScience #TechPodcast #Innovation #FutureOfTechnology

April 21, 202636 min

How Enterprises are Getting AI Wrong with MIT CSAIL Armando Solar-Lezama

Professor Armando Solar-Lezama, MIT CSAIL Associate Director, says there are currently three camps in AI discourse: the utopian thinkers, the alarmists, and the skeptics. And all of them are wrong. Plus, hear his thoughts on AI Agents, neurosymbolic programming, vibe coding, and more. In this conversation, Professor Solar-Lezama explains how "vibe coding" is transforming daily productivity for those who already know how to code, why software development is becoming a capital-intensive business for the first time in its history, and why the developers who benefit most from AI tools are the ones with the strongest foundations. He also offers a warning on AI agents: that simple attacks have been patched but major vulnerabilities remain, and deploying agents in high-stakes environments without understanding those risks is a gamble organizations shouldn't take yet. Plus, get a closer look at emerging technologies like neurosymbolic programming and areas where human expertise will be more important than ever. Episodes, listener discounts, meet the host, and more can be found here: csail.mit.edu/podcast Connect with CSAIL Alliances: On our site: cap.csail.mit.edu/about-us/meet-our-team On LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/mit-csail #ArtificialIntelligence #AITrends #MachineLearning #TechPodcast #FutureOfWork #SoftwareDevelopment #AIEthics #Innovation

March 2, 202639 min

Chalk Radio: MIT Economist Andrew Lo on Finance, AI, and Human Behavior (Guest Episode)

This month we’re featuring a special guest episode from our friends at MIT OpenCourseWare's Chalk Radio. Host Sarah Hansen sits down with Professor of Finance at the MIT Sloan School of Management and CSAIL PI Andrew Lo for a wide-ranging conversation about money, learning, and making financial advice accessible to everyone. Andrew Lo explains why he believes finance is a language we all need to speak and that an advanced math degree is not required to be successful. Exploring how money quietly shapes nearly every path we take, Professor Lo reflects on his work with MIT OpenCourseWare which reached millions of learners worldwide and why breaking down “impenetrable” financial concepts has become central to his mission. And of course, he tackles the timely question: Should you use ChatGPT to plan your retirement? For many people, hiring a financial advisor might be a financial impossibility, but Professor Andrew Lo and his colleagues are working to develop an AI financial advisor that not only gives ordinary people access to sound financial advice, but ultimately acts with the best interest of the user. Andrew Lo is the faculty director of FinTechAI@CSAIL, a research initiative with CSAIL Alliances. https://cap.csail.mit.edu/members/initiatives/fintechaicsail Find episodes, listener discounts, meet the host, and more: https://csail.mit.edu/podcast For more episodes from Chalk Radio: https://chalk-radio.simplecast.com/ Connect with CSAIL Alliances: On our site: cap.csail.mit.edu/about-us/meet-our-team On LinkedIn: linkedIn.com/mit-CSAIL License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA #CSAIL #ChalkRadio #FinancialEconomics #FinTech #AIandFinance #PersonalFinance #LifelongLearning

January 5, 202648 min

AI and Our Time at Work: Featuring MIT Neil Thompson and David Autor

What does AI really mean for jobs, productivity, and the future of work? Recorded with a live audience at the MIT Museum! In this special live taping of the CSAIL Alliances Podcast, host Kara Miller explores big questions on AI and the future of work with two MIT researchers leading research on technology and labor—David Autor, MIT economist and coauthor of The Work of the Future, and Neil Thompson, Director of MIT FutureTech. Together, they unpack what the evidence actually says about AI and work—cutting through hype, fear, and speculation. The conversation explores how AI is reshaping tasks (not just jobs), why productivity gains have been uneven, and what history can teach us about today’s moment. From software development and medicine to insurance, law, and gig work, Autor and Thompson explain when AI acts as a powerful collaborator—and when full automation simply isn’t realistic or cost-effective. This episode offers a grounded, thoughtful look at how AI is actually being used today—and what that means for workers, organizations, and society going forward. Further reading: Joint research paper: https://www.nber.org/papers/w33941 Vox: Here’s a glimmer of hope about AI and jobs: https://www.vox.com/technology/470688/ai-jobs-chatgpt-bubble Episodes, listener discounts, meet the host, and more can be found here: https://csail.mit.edu/podcast Connect with CSAIL Alliances: On our site: cap.csail.mit.edu/about-us/meet-our-team On LinkedIn: linkedIn.com/mit-CSAIL #AIandWork #FutureOfJobs #ArtificialIntelligence #EconomicsOfAI #FutureOfWork #MITCSAIL #TechnologyAndLabor #AIResearch

December 1, 202538 min

The Future of Robotics: Hype, Breakthroughs, and Challenges with Professor Russ Tedrake

Host Kara Miller sits down with MIT Professor Russ Tedrake, a leading researcher in robotics and AI at CSAIL to explore the rapidly accelerating world of humanoid and intelligent robots. Tedrake takes us behind the scenes of the robotics revolution—from the cultural resistance and skepticism, to the moment everything shifted. Today, major tech leaders are declaring humanoid robots “the biggest product in human history.” But is that true? Is it hype, or are we on the edge of a real technological turning point? Topics Include: 01:00 - The Ramp Up of Robots 03:00 - Where Will We See Robots? 07:44 - Will Robots Replace Humans Soon? 13:02 - Robots Entering the Workforce 15:32 - Robots and Low Birth Rates 20:06 - Robots and Humans Working in the Same Space 24:57 - AI Changed the Trajectory of Robots 26:42 - The Barriers of a Personal Robot 31:37 - The Relationship between Academia and Companies 35:37 - Will You Have a Robot in the Home in Five Years? They explore why COVID fundamentally changed how the world views automation and robotics, and dive into the hardest technical challenges in robotics, revealing why the real world is nothing like chess or chatbots. We talk about how AI, control theory, and physical dynamics must work together to create true intelligence, and discuss why humanoid robots may soon become as common and transformative as smartphones. Finally, we examine the growing gap between digital intelligence and embodied intelligence in the physical world, and what it will take to bridge it. Episodes, listener discounts, meet the host, and more can be found here: https://csail.mit.edu/podcast Connect with CSAIL Alliances: On our site: cap.csail.mit.edu/about-us/meet-our-team On LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/mit-csail #Robotics #ArtificialIntelligence #HumanoidRobots #FutureOfWork #AIInnovation #TechPodcast #MachineLearning #Automatio

November 3, 20256 min

Bridging the AI Gap: Inside MIT’s Systalyze Startup with Associate Professor Manya Ghobadi

In this episode of MIT CSAIL Alliances, host Kara Miller sits down with Professor Manya Ghobadi, a researcher and entrepreneur bridging the gap between academia and industry. Ghobadi, who has worked at Microsoft Research, Google, and now leads her own startup Systalyze, explores why so many companies struggle to efficiently deploy AI — and how her team is creating the “AI doctor” enterprises didn’t know they needed. From hospitals sitting on mountains of private data to banks seeking smarter fraud detection, Ghobadi explains how better infrastructure and smarter tools can finally unlock AI’s full potential. Tune in for an inside look at how innovation moves from lab to launchpad — and what it takes to make AI work in the real world. Topics Include: 00:07 - Origins of Systalze 01:40 - AI systems are difficult to build 02:53 - Systalyze is like an AI doctor 03:38 - How AI can transform the health care industry 04:41 - When companies unlock their AI potential 05:13 - Academia as an enterprenuer Episodes, listener discounts, meet the host, and more can be found here: csail.mit.edu/podcast Connect with CSAIL Alliances: On our site: cap.csail.mit.edu/about-us/meet-our-team On LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/mit-csail #MITCSAIL #AI #Education #MIT #GenerativeAI #Leadership #Technology #csailpodcast