IBM and MIT today announced the launch of the MIT-IBM Computing Research Lab, deepening their long-standing collaboration to shape the next era of computing. The fresh lab expands its scope to include quantum computing alongside fundamental artificial intelligence research, with the goal of unlocking fresh computational approaches that go beyond the limitations of today’s classical systems.
The MIT-IBM Computing Research Laboratory is built on a distinguished history of scientific excellence at the intersection of research and academia. The fresh lab, an outgrowth of the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab that was established on the MIT campus in 2017, reflects a transformed technology landscape—one in which artificial intelligence has entered mainstream implementation and quantum computing is rapidly gaining practical applications. Together, MIT and IBM want to lend a hand advance artificial intelligence and quantum research and redefine the mathematical foundations of both fields.
“We expect the MIT-IBM Computing Research Lab to become one of the world’s most important academic and industrial centers, accelerating the future of computing,” says Jay Gambetta, director of IBM Research and IBM Fellow and chair of the IBM MIT-IBM Computing Research Lab. “Together, the brightest minds from MIT and IBM will think through how we design models, algorithms and systems for an era that will be defined by the sum of what will be possible when we combine artificial intelligence and quantum computing.”
“For a decade, the collaboration between MIT and IBM has produced cutting-edge research and innovation, provided mentorship, and supported the professional development of researchers at both MIT and IBM,” says Anantha Chandrakasan, MIT provost, who, as then-dean of the School of Engineering, led the creation of the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab and will continue to serve as head of the lab at MIT. “The incredible technical achievements set the bar high for our work together over the next 10 years. I look forward to another decade of making an impact.”
Determining subsequent limits in calculations
The MIT-IBM Computing Research Lab will be the focal point of MIT and IBM’s collaborative research in artificial intelligence, algorithms and quantum computing, as well as the integration of these technologies with hybrid computing systems. The lab is designed to accelerate progress toward powerful fresh computational approaches that leverage rapid advances in artificial intelligence and quantum-centric supercomputers, including those that combine maturing quantum hardware with classical systems and advanced artificial intelligence methods.
This research initiative will include improving the capabilities and integration of artificial intelligence with classic computing, as well as pursuing advances in petite, capable, modular language model architectures, novel AI computing paradigms, and enterprise-focused AI systems designed for deployment in real-world environments where reliability, transparency, and trust are necessary.
In parallel, the lab will rethink the mathematical and algorithmic foundations that underpin the next era of computing, accelerating the development of novel quantum algorithms to solve convoluted problems affecting areas such as materials science, chemistry and biology.
Additionally, the lab will explore the mathematical and algorithmic foundations of machine learning, optimization, Hamiltonian simulation, and partial differential equations, which are used to approximate the behavior of dynamical systems that currently outperform classical systems beyond constrained scale and accuracy. Innovations developed in the lab could have wide-ranging implications for global industry, from more correct predictions of weather and air turbulence to better predictions of financial market performance. Similarly, with improved optimization methods, laboratory research can lend a hand reduce risk in areas such as finance, predict protein structures for more targeted medicine, and improve global supply chains.
With a focus on artificial intelligence, algorithms and quantum, the MIT-IBM Computing Research Lab will complement and enhance the work of two strategic MIT initiatives: the MIT Generative AI Impact Consortium and the MIT Quantum Initiative. MIT President Sally Kornbluth launched these strategic initiatives to broaden and deepen MIT’s influence in developing solutions to major global challenges. The MIT-IBM Computing Research Lab will also leverage IBM’s decades of leadership and expertise in quantum computing. As part of an ambitious roadmap, IBM has established a clear path to deliver the world’s first fault-tolerant quantum computer by 2029 and is collaborating across industries to drive value from quantum-centric supercomputers by tightly integrating quantum computers with high-performance computing and artificial intelligence accelerators to solve the world’s most challenging problems.
Deep integration with scientific fields
The MIT-IBM Computing Research Lab will also continue to serve as a foundation for training the next generation of computational scientists and innovators. It will achieve this by engaging faculty and students from MIT departments, enabling fresh computational approaches to accelerate discoveries in the physical and life sciences.
The lab will continue to be co-directed by Aude Oliva, senior scientist at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, and David Cox, vice president of AI Foundations at IBM Research. MIT and IBM have appointed leaders for each of the lab’s three focus areas – artificial intelligence, algorithms and quantum. Jacob Andreas, associate professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), and Kenney Ng, principal scientist at IBM Research and head of the MIT-IBM Science Program, will co-lead artificial intelligence; Vinod Vaikuntanathan, Ford Foundation Professor of Engineering at EECS, and Vasileios Kalantzis, senior research fellow at IBM Research, will co-lead the algorithms; and Aram Harrow, professor of physics, and Hanhee Paik, director of IBM Quantum Algorithm Centers, will co-lead the quantum projects.
“The MIT-IBM Computing Research Lab reflects the significant development of collaboration between MIT and IBM and the growing connections between artificial intelligence, algorithms and quantum. This deepened focus also highlights a strong connection to the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing’s mission to advance the forefront of computing and its integration across disciplines,” says Dan Huttenlocher, dean of the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing and co-chair of the MIT Lab. “I am excited about what the next chapter will enable in these three areas and their impact in the bigger picture.”
It is based on almost ten years of cooperation
The MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab has helped develop a model for research collaboration between academia and industry, connecting long-term research with real-world impact. Since its founding, the lab has funded over 210 research projects involving over 150 MIT faculty members and over 200 IBM researchers. In total, the projects produced over 1,500 peer-reviewed articles. The lab has also helped shape the careers of many MIT students and adolescent scientists, funding more than 500 undergraduate and graduate students.
“The true measure of this lab is not just innovation, but the transformation of the field. Hundreds of students have contributed to thousands of publications in leading conferences and journals, demonstrating their ability to solve significant problems,” says Oliva. “The MIT-IBM Computing Research Lab builds on its extraordinary heritage to advance trusted collaborations that will redefine the future of artificial intelligence and quantum computing in ways never before seen.”
“By combining academic rigor with industrial scale, the lab aims to define the computational foundations that will underpin the next generation of artificial intelligence and quantum and scientific breakthroughs,” says Cox. “By combining advances in artificial intelligence, algorithms and quantum computing in one integrated research effort, we are creating the conditions to rethink the mathematical and computational foundations of science and engineering.”
The MIT-IBM Computing Research Lab will build on this foundation, expanding both its scientific scope and its ecosystem of collaborators throughout the Cambridge-Boston region and beyond.