• Five-year multi-million-dollar programme supported by NRF under its CREATE programme
• New interdisciplinary research group (IRG), SMART M3S, will bring together 17 MIT and Singapore professors to further Singapore’s Smart Nation initiative over five years
• The focus of the SMART M3S research will be to design the technology, training programmes and institutions for successful human-machine collaboration in the workplace and beyond
• The first of its kind, SMART M3S will integrate robotics and AI with human capital development, economic growth, and public acceptability

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach - 12 July 2023 - Singapore MIT-Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), MIT’s research enterprise in Singapore, has launched a new interdisciplinary research group (IRG) aimed at tackling key social and institutional challenges around the rise of AI and new technologies, furthering advances in these fields to create impactful value for Singapore and the world beyond. In line with Singapore’s Smart Nation initiative and the National AI Strategy, and as part of SMART's commitment to foster collaborative research in Singapore that generates positive impact for society, Mens, Manus and Machina - How AI Empowers People, Institutions and the City in Singapore (M3S) will embark on an ambitious five year endeavour supported by a multi-million-dollar grant from the National Research Foundation (NRF) under its Campus for Research Excellence And Technological Enterprise (CREATE) programme. Bringing together a diverse team of 17 professors from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Singapore, SMART M3S will also draw expertise from local researchers from Singapore Management University (SMU), Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), the National University of Singapore (NUS), and the National Robotics Programme (NRP). As Asia’s smartest city, Singapore’s integration of AI, automation, and robotics has been facilitated by strategic use of data analytics, IoT technologies, and smart infrastructure. Amid the rise of AI and machine learning, SMART M3S will contribute to Singapore's AI ecosystem by focusing on the human-machine relationship, enhancing existing AI initiatives in the city-state. Mens, Manus and Machina (M3S) - inspired by MIT’s motto of mens et manus (mind and hand) - reflects the research group’s ideals to promote AI and machine use for practical application; technologies that are extensions of humans and augment their lives. SMART M3S, in a world first, integrates research into robotics and A.I. with human capital development, economic growth, and public acceptability - an intersectional approach to the ongoing transformation of how we work and live. This interdisciplinary approach encompasses tackling key issues such as physical and digital interfaces between humans and machines, machine learning fundamentals, and understanding the implications of AI for human and social capital development. Other issues of focus include work on structuring human-machine teams within organisations and the developing dynamics between humans and machines in resource allocation and manpower (as well as machine-power) management. The research conducted will significantly advance the fields of soft robotics, brain interfaces, learning algorithms, task allocation, team formation, model compression, sustainable technology, technology acceptability in the workplace, social acceptability of robotics and AI, and more. The impact of AI on human welfare and productivity and how AI technology can advance both areas will be central considerations for the work at SMART M3S, as society navigates the transition towards an AI- and machine-enhanced future. Through interdisciplinary research, knowledge sharing, and impactful collaborations, SMART M3S aims to redefine the boundaries of AI, automation, and robotics to scientific, societal and commercial impact. The work at M3S will explore the intricate interplay between human capabilities, emerging technologies, and societal structures, paving the way for designing inclusive, resilient, and innovative solutions that empower individuals, institutions, and cities in Singapore. SMART M3S, by collaborating with Singaporean partners, will enhance Singapore’s ability to create forward-looking AI policies, invigorate Singapore’s economic standing within AI, and support local workforce training and mentorship on AI topics. Since its inception in Singapore in 2007, SMART has pioneered innovations that have transformed and are transforming a multitude of fields such as autonomous driving, agriculture, microelectronics, cell therapy, mechanics and microfluidics platforms for biology and medical diagnostics, and antimicrobial resistance. “As a species, humans have spent eons learning how to work effectively with each other but, at the scale of human history, we are still...