The social impact of artificial intelligence is no longer a discussion about the future.
It is the present, and it is happening right now, at a pace that few can keep up with.
That was exactly the starting point of the AI and Society Forum, held at MIT, where experts from different areas across the institute came together to discuss something that goes far beyond the tech hype: how AI is transforming work, the nature of occupations, civil discourse, election administration, and so many other aspects of our society.
The event featured individual research presentations, panel discussions, and even a musical performance that explored the use of generative artificial intelligence in the arts. Yes, you read that right — there was music in the middle of all that technical debate. 🎵
The forum was jointly organized by the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (SHASS) and the Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Computing (SERC), with support from two strategic MIT initiatives: the MIT Generative AI Impact Consortium (MGAIC) and the MIT Human Insight Collaborative (MITHIC).
That alone says a lot about the event’s purpose. This was not a forum just for engineers or just for philosophers. It was a conversation that needed everyone at the table. 🧠
Why bring so many different people together?
The event was opened by Agustín Rayo, dean of SHASS, and Dan Huttenlocher, dean of the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing. The two set the tone for what was to come.
Rayo explained that bringing together researchers from so many areas across MIT was an intentional choice, because understanding the impact of AI requires knowledge from disciplines spread throughout the entire institute.
According to him, paying attention to the social consequences of artificial intelligence is not a departure from MIT’s mission — it is a way to ensure that the institution’s technical leadership has the greatest possible impact.
Huttenlocher added that the rapid growth of computing and AI makes it essential to support interdisciplinary conversations and research. For him, understanding where artificial intelligence shines and where it falls short is key not only to unlocking its benefits but also to avoiding critical mistakes, over-reliance, and unintended consequences.
Jobs and AI: not as simple as it seems
Held on May 12 at the Tull Concert Hall inside MIT’s Linde Music Building, the forum kicked off with a talk by economist David Autor, a professor in MIT’s Department of Economics.
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Autor challenged that common narrative that AI is simply going to eliminate jobs. Instead, he proposed something deeper: the impact of technology depends on how it affects the scarcity and value of human expertise.
In his words, when we think about how technology interacts with the value of work, what matters is understanding whether it makes expertise more valuable or turns it into a simple commodity.
What really makes the difference, according to Autor, is whether automation removes routine support tasks or eliminates specialized ones. He argues that AI will likely create new kinds of skilled work, but that requires proactive policies around worker training, wage insurance, and a broader distribution of capital ownership.
Right after, a panel moderated by Rob Loughlin, a partner at McKinsey & Company, brought together MIT experts to discuss how work is changing and what that means for society.
AI as a partner, not a replacement
Daniela Rus, a professor of Computer Science and director of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), offered an optimistic view of how AI can improve the workplace.
She likes to imagine the robot as a friend and assistant — someone who watches you, figures out how to help, and to whom you can delegate high-level tasks.
Even so, Rus made a point of emphasizing that human judgment remains essential in decision-making. In her view, we can think of a collaboration with AI tools, but the role of the human as the one who decides, who exercises common sense, and who determines the next step remains extremely important.
David Mindell, a professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics and also of History of Engineering, reminded the audience that the nature of work has always changed over the years. According to him, what really matters is the new work that emerges.
Mindell argues that we need to support individuals, the economy, and the professions so they are constantly creating that new work. For him, it is absolutely imperative to give young people the tools and let them do what they consider creative, showing the world what the work of the future will look like.
Safety and efficiency need to go hand in hand
The panelists also talked about the importance of maintaining safety standards while pursuing new efficiencies. Mindell gave a very concrete example: cargo flights that require six pilots because of how long the trip lasts.
He explained that we still do not know how to reduce that number from six to five, let alone to two, one, or zero. There is a lot of money invested in solving that problem, but there is also an incredibly rich system that evolved precisely to keep everything safe.
Sendhil Mullainathan, a professor with a dual appointment in the departments of Economics and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), described a vision of AI’s utility and growth that delivers productivity gains, but he also raised an important warning.
For him, it is well worth distinguishing productivity gains from what actually drives long-term growth. They are different things and tend to get confused.
Either way, Mullainathan believes we are entering a period of high variability when it comes to AI’s impact on the workforce. He admits he does not know exactly how organizations will restructure, but finds it hard to believe there will not be major restructuring ahead. And just knowing that we are entering a period of high variance is, in itself, an incredibly valuable piece of information.
Democracy and AI: a delicate balance
The second session of the day dove into a topic that affects everyone: the impact of AI technology on democracy.
Chara Podimata, an assistant professor of operations research and statistics at the MIT Sloan School of Management, presented her research on auditing language models for biases in election-related information.
She pointed out that algorithms today decide a lot about our lives. When it comes to chatbots and election information, she raises an intriguing question: if two different people interact with the same chatbot, how will it respond? How will it personalize the information it delivers to each of them?
A longitudinal study of 12 major models during the 2024 U.S. presidential election season revealed something concerning: responses varied dramatically based on the demographic information and stated political leanings of users. Now, Podimata’s team is working on a new audit focused on the 2026 midterm elections, with a redesigned survey built in collaboration with political science experts.
What worries and what encourages the experts
In the panel moderated by Songyee Yoon, founder of Principal Venture Partners and a member of the MIT Corporation, experts raised concerns about AI’s potential to erode democratic norms and processes, but they also explored possible positive outcomes.
Bailey Flanigan, a professor in the Department of Political Science with a shared appointment at the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing and EECS, said she is skeptical about the way some people apply AI as a tool to get people to reach decisions or consensus more quickly.
She acknowledges that it sounds good because it is more efficient and easier. But, according to her, that shortcut loses many of the procedural elements of democracy — the very rituals of how we come together and make decisions as a group. For her, forgetting that when thinking about automation is a mistake.
Charles Stewart III, a professor of Political Science and founder of the MIT Election Data and Science Lab, pointed to a structural challenge: government structures do not evolve at the same pace as technology.
Stewart’s biggest concern is AI’s potential to generate chaos during and after elections. He warned that when things go wrong, they can go very wrong. If an election is called into question, that can lead to violence.
He noted that we have already seen election results manipulated even in low-tech eras. What worries him is what he will observe on the next election day, the Wednesday after voting, and whether AI will have helped create irreversible disruptions in the electoral system.
When technology can also help
Lily Tsai, a professor of Political Science and founder of the MIT Governance Lab (MIT GOV/LAB), observed that in many ways, AI works against the norms and commitments necessary for a healthy democracy.
She highlighted the importance of technology designers being familiar not only with design principles but with the values that define what democracy is: agency, political equality, mutual respect, inclusion, and autonomy.
But Tsai also brought up a surprising side of her research. Some people, she said, actually feel more comfortable interacting with machines. Her team developed a Socratic dialogue chatbot that asks people to articulate the reasoning behind their beliefs and positions.
And here is the interesting part: this process seems to moderate people’s stances on certain policies. In other words, there are concrete examples of how AI can have positive impacts on democracy. But, as Tsai was careful to emphasize, it all depends on designing with the right principles and evaluating these systems rigorously.
What the MIT forum made clear
If there is one lesson that runs through every discussion at the AI and Society Forum, it is that the social impact of artificial intelligence is not determined solely by the technology itself but by the collective choices we make around it.
Language models and AI systems are extraordinarily powerful tools, but they are still tools. The way they shape work, democracy, and social life depends on who has access to them, how they are governed, and which values guide their development.
The current moment is critical precisely because there is still room to steer the development of artificial intelligence in a more balanced and responsible direction. That window will not stay open forever, and the MIT experts made that very clear.
At the end of the day, what MIT brought together was not just a group of researchers debating technology. It was a portrait of society trying to understand itself in the face of an unprecedented transformation. And the central message is powerful: artificial intelligence will shape the future, but we are the ones who get to decide what kind of future that will be. 🌐
