MIT-IBM Computing Research Lab launches to shape the future of AI and quantum computing | MIT News

The following is a joint announcement by the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing and IBM.

IBM and MIT today announced the launch of the MIT-IBM Computing Research Lab, building on their long-standing collaboration to shape the next era of computing. The new lab expands its scope to include quantum computing, as well as basic artificial intelligence research, with the goal of unlocking new ways of computing that go beyond the limitations of today’s classical systems.

The MIT-IBM Computing Research Lab builds on a distinguished history of scientific excellence at the intersection of research and education. Derived from the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab, founded in 2017 on the MIT campus, the new lab reflects a changed technological landscape – one where AI has entered mainstream use, and quantum computing is rapidly advancing to a tangible impact. Together, MIT and IBM aim to help lead research in AI and quantum and redefine the foundations of mathematics in both domains.

“We expect that the MIT-IBM Computing Research Lab will emerge as one of the most advanced academic and industrial centers that accelerate the future of computing,” said Jay Gambetta, director of IBM Research and IBM Fellow, and IBM chair of the MIT-IBM Computing Research Lab. “Together, the brightest minds at MIT and IBM will rethink how models, algorithms, and systems are designed for an era that will be defined by the sum of what’s possible when AI and quantum computing come together.”

“For ten years, the collaboration between MIT and IBM has produced cutting-edge research and innovation, and provided training and supported the professional growth of researchers at MIT and IBM,” said Anantha Chandrakasan, MIT provost, who, as dean of the School of Engineering at the time, led the creation of MIT-IBM Watson and will continue with LaMIT LaMIT. “Remarkable achievements to take our work to the next 10 years. I look forward to another decade of results.”

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The MIT-IBM Computing Research Lab will serve as a focal point for joint research between MIT and IBM in AI, algorithms, and quantum computing, and the integration of these technologies into hybrid computing systems. The lab is designed to accelerate progress in powerful computational methods that take advantage of rapid advances in AI and quantum-centric supercomputing, including those that combine maturing quantum hardware with classical systems and advanced AI methods.

This research program will include developing capabilities and integrating AI with traditional computing, as well as pursuing progress in building small, efficient, modular language models, novel computing paradigms for AI, and business-oriented AI systems designed for deployment in real-world environments, where reliability, transparency, and trust are critical.

In parallel, the lab will rethink the mathematical and algorithmic foundations that underpin the next era of computing by accelerating the development of novel quantum algorithms for complex problems, with implications in areas such as materials science, chemistry, and biology.

Additionally, the lab will investigate the mathematical and algorithmic foundations of machine learning, optimization, Hamiltonian simulation, and differential equations, which are used to simulate the behavior of dynamic systems that currently overwhelm classical systems with limited scale and accuracy. Innovations from the lab could have wide-ranging implications for global industries, from more accurate forecasts of weather and atmospheric turbulence to better forecasts of financial market performance. Similarly, with improved development methods, research from the lab can help reduce risk in areas such as finance, predict protein structures for highly targeted drugs, and streamline global supply chains.

With its focus on AI, algorithms, and quantum, the MIT-IBM Computing Research Lab will complement and advance the work of two MIT strategic initiatives, the MIT Generative AI Impact Consortium and the MIT Quantum Initiative. MIT President Sally Kornbluth unveiled these strategic plans to expand and deepen MIT’s impact in developing solutions to the world’s greatest challenges. The MIT-IBM Computing Research Lab will also leverage IBM’s long-standing leadership and expertise in quantum computing. As part of its ambitious roadmap, IBM has set a clear path to deliver the world’s first fault-tolerant computer by 2029, and is working across industries to drive value from quantum-centric supercomputing, tightly integrating quantum computers with high-performance computing and AI to solve global problems.

Deep integration with scientific fields

The MIT-IBM Computing Research Lab will continue to serve as a training ground for the next generation of computer scientists and computer innovators. It will do so by engaging faculty and students across MIT departments, enabling new ways to integrate and accelerate discoveries in the physical and life sciences.

The lab will continue to be co-directed by Aude Oliva, senior research 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 nominated leaders in each of the lab’s three focus areas – AI, algorithms, and quantum. Jacob Andreas, associate professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), and Kenney Ng, principal research scientist at IBM Research and manager of the MIT-IBM science program, will lead the AI; Vinod Vaikuntanathan, Ford Foundation Professor of Engineering at EECS, and Vasileios Kalantzis, IBM senior research scientist, will co-lead the algorithms; and Aram Harrow, professor of physics, and Hanhee Paik, director of IBM’s Quantum Algorithm Centers, will co-lead the quantum.

“The MIT-IBM Computing Research Lab represents an important expansion of the collaboration between MIT and IBM and the increasing connection across AI, algorithms, and quantum. This deep focus emphasizes a strong understanding with the work of the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing to advance Computing and its integration across the discipnings of MIT Schwarzman,” Computing and MIT chair of the lab. “I’m excited about how this next chapter will help me in these three areas, and their impact more broadly.”

Building on ten years of collaboration

The MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab helped pioneer a model for academic and industry research collaboration, aligning long-term scientific inquiry with real-world impact. Since its inception, the lab has sponsored more than 210 research projects involving more than 150 MIT faculty members and more than 200 IBM researchers. In total, the projects resulted in more than 1,500 peer-reviewed articles. The lab has also helped shape the career growth of a number of MIT students and junior researchers, sponsoring more than 500 students and postdocs.

“The real measure of this lab is not just innovation, but industry transformation,” says Oliva. “The MIT-IBM Computing Research Lab builds on an incredible legacy of advancing a trusted collaboration that will redefine the future of AI and quantum computing in an unprecedented way.”

“By combining academic rigor with industrial scale, the lab aims to define the computing foundations that will power the next generation of AI, quantum, and scientific breakthroughs,” Cox said. “By bringing together advances in AI, algorithms, and quantum computing under one integrated research effort, we are creating the conditions to rethink the foundations of mathematics and science and engineering.”

The MIT-IBM Computing Research Lab will leverage this foundation, expanding both the scope of science and the ecosystem of collaborators throughout the Cambridge-Boston region and beyond.