MIT’s School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (SHASS) was Established in 1950 In response to “a new era emerging from social upheaval and the disasters of war”, as outlined in 1949 Lewis Committee Report.
The report’s findings emphasized MIT’s role and responsibility in the new nuclear age, calling for a doubling down on genuine “integration” of scientific and technical disciplines with humanistic scholarship and teaching. Only in this way, the committee wrote, could MIT tackle “the most difficult and complex problems facing our generation.”
As SHASS celebrates its 75th anniversary, Dean Agustín Rayo answers the question why, given the grave challenges amid the new technological revolution, the need to develop students with broad minds and humanitarian understanding is as urgent as ever.
Why: Many universities are responding to artificial intelligence by starting new technology programs or updating curricula. The change goes deeper than that, you’ve suggested. Why?
A: Artificial intelligence is not just changing the way students learn – it is changing every aspect of society. The labor market is experiencing a dramatic shift, altering traditional pathways to financial stability. And AI is changing the ways we bring meaning to our lives: the way we form relationships, the way we pay attention, and the things we enjoy doing.
The result is that the most important question universities need to ask is not how we adapt our pedagogy to AI – although we certainly need to consider this. The most important question we need to ask is how to provide an education that provides real value to students in the age of AI.
We need to ensure that universities provide students with the tools they need to find a path to financial security and build meaningful lives.
We need to produce students who are agile and broad minded. We need our students to not only be able to perform tasks effectively, but also to have the discretion to determine which tasks are worth performing. We need students who have ethical knowledge, and who understand how the world works in all its political, economic and human complexities. We need students who know how to think critically and who have excellent communication and leadership skills.
Why: What role do the humanities, arts, and social sciences play in preparing MIT students for the future?
A: They are required, and truly a core part of an MIT education: MIT has long required at least eight courses in HASS subjects to graduate.
Fields like philosophy, political science, economics, literature, history, music, and anthropology are vital to developing the parts of our lives that are essentially human – the parts that will not be replaced by AI.
They are important for developing critical thinking and moral guidelines. They are important for understanding people – our values, institutions, cultures and ways of thinking. They are important in producing students who are broad thinkers who understand how the world works. They are important for developing students who are excellent communicators and are able to describe their projects – and their lives – in a way that gives them meaning.
Our students understand this. Here’s what one of them said: “Engineering gives me the tools to measure the world; the humanities teach me how to interpret it. That balance has shaped both how I do science and why I do it.” (Full interview here.)
Why: Some worry that the emphasis on humanistic studies may weaken MIT’s technological edge. How do you respond to that concern?
A: I think the opposite is true.
MIT is an important engine for social mobility in the United States and a catalyst for entrepreneurship, adding billions of dollars to the American economy. This cannot be separated from the fact that we are a technical institution, which brings together the country’s brightest graduates – regardless of socio-economic background – and transforms them into the next generation of our country’s top scientific and engineering leaders.
MIT plays an incredibly important role in our country. So, the last thing I want to do is mess with our secret sauce.
But I also think the age of AI is forcing us to rethink what it means to be a top engineer.
Just think about artificial intelligence. The challenges we face are not just technical. Issues such as bias, accountability, governance and the social impact of automation are no less important. Understanding those dimensions helps technologists design better systems and predict real-world outcomes.
Strengthening the humanities at MIT is not a departure from our core mission—it is a way to ensure that our technological leadership continues to matter in the world.
Why: What kinds of changes is MIT SHASS making to support this approach?
A: there’s a lot going on!
We have launched the MIT Human Insight Collaborative (MITHIC) as a way to strengthen research in the humanities, arts, and social sciences and deepen collaboration with colleagues at MIT.
We are shaping the undergraduate experience to ensure that every MIT student engages with the big societal questions shaping our times, from democratic resilience to climate change to the ethics of new technologies.
We are building strong relationships with the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing (SCC) through initiatives such as the creation of shared faculty positions. And we recently launched a new Music Technology and Computation graduate program with the School of Engineering.
We are partnering with SERC (SCC’s Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Computing) to design new classes at the intersection of human-centered issues like computing and ethics.
And we are elevating the humanities – for their own sakes, and as a space for experimentation, bringing together students, faculty and partners to explore new forms of research, teaching and public engagement.
This is a very exciting time for SHASS.
