About

NSF AI Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Fundamental Interactions

Deep Learning (AI) + Deep Thinking (Physics) = Deeper Understanding

The NSF AI Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Fundamental Interactions (IAIFI, pronounced /aɪ-faɪ/) is one of the inaugural NSF AI research institutes. The IAIFI is enabling physics discoveries and advancing foundational AI through the development of novel AI approaches that incorporate first principles from fundamental physics. The goal of the IAIFI is to advance physics knowledge and galvanize AI research innovation.

By combining state-of-the-art research with early career talent and a growing AI + physics community in the Boston area and beyond, the IAIFI is enabling researchers to develop AI technologies to tackle some of the most challenging problems in physics, and transfer these technologies to the broader AI community. Since trustworthy AI is as important for physics discovery as it is for other applications of AI in society, IAIFI researchers are applying physics principles to develop more robust AI tools and to illuminate existing AI technologies. To cultivate human intelligence, the IAIFI promotes training, education, and public engagement at the intersection of physics and AI. In these ways, the IAIFI is fusing deep learning with deep thinking to gain a deeper understanding of our universe and AI.

The IAIFI is anchored in the Laboratory for Nuclear Science at MIT.

Research

Pioneering interdisciplinary

RESEARCH

IAIFI researchers are producing state-of-the-art results through interdisciplinary projects across foundational AI, theoretical physics, experimental physics, and astrophysics. The projects in these domains are also categorized by cross-cutting themes, which help to utilize a common language and identify opportunities for collaboration: Representation/Manifold Learning; Generative Models; Uncertainty Quantification/Robust AI; Physics-Motivated Optimization; and Reinforcement Learning.

Talent

Empowering the next generation of

TALENT

IAIFI is recruiting and training a talented, promising, and diverse group of students and postdocs, making them experts in AI + Physics.

Community

Building a dynamic

COMMUNITY

IAIFI is making Cambridge and the surrounding Boston area a nexus point for collaborative efforts aimed at advancing both physics and AI.
  • Public Engagement: Information about activities and events targeted toward K-12 students and the general public
  • Physics/AI Network: Information about activities and events aiming to bring together the global AI+Physics community
  • IAIFI Summer Workshop: Details about our annual Summer Workshop for researchers of all career stages working at the intersection of Physics and AI
  • IAIFI Colloquia: Twice-per-month talks from global experts in AI+Physics
  • IAIFI Seminars: No longer active, monthly talks from Boston-area experts in AI+Physics
  • Hackathons: Occasional events for early career researchers to work together on problems in AI+Physics---sometimes in more specific domains
  • Industry Partners: Details of our partnerships with various companies in and beyond the Boston area supporting our interdisciplinary efforts
  • Committees: Information about various committees that IAIFI members are invited to participate in to help advance IAIFI's strategic goals

Press Coverage

For press inquiries, email iaifi@mit.edu

Graphics

Contact IAIFI Management if you need graphics in different formats, colors, or sizes.

Contact

This project is supported by National Science Foundation under Cooperative Agreement PHY-2019786. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.