The perfect storm of potentially changing health care and focused on artificial intelligence and the desire to increase the benefits thanks to the subscription models alienate vulnerable patients?
For the third consecutive year, MIT Consider the future of computer science Asked students to describe, in 3,000 words or less, how the progress of computer science could shape human society for the best or for the worst. All registrations were eligible to earn a certain number of cash prices.
Inspired by recent research on greater microbiomas on global health, the joint Mit-qui program in oceanography and the doctoral student of ocean science and applied engineering Analiese Meyer created the concept of “B-Bots”, a synthetic bacterial imit designed to regulate intestinal and activated Bluetooth biomes.
For the competition, which challenges students to articulate their reflections for what computer advances have advanced, Meyer has submitted a speculative fiction work on how the recipients of a new revolutionary health care technology find their treatment in danger with the introduction of a subscription -based remuneration model.
In his winning article, entitled “(Pré / sub) scribe”, Meyer recounts the use of B-Bots from the point of view of their creator and a B-BOT user named Briar. They celebrate the effects of the supplement, helping them to manage vitamin deficiencies and chronic conditions such as acid reflux and irritable colon syndrome. Meyer says that the introduction of a B-BOTS subscription model “seemed to be a perfect opportunity to understand that in a for-profit health care system, even medical progress which, in theory, would be revolutionary for human health can end up causing more harm than good for the many people on the losing side of the massive disparity of wealth in modern society.”
As Canadian, Meyer has experienced the differences between health care systems in the United States and Canada. She recounts recent treatments against her mother's cancer, highlighting the cost and covering of treatments in British Columbia compared to the United States
Aside from an edifying history of equity in the American health care system, Meyer hopes that readers remove an additional scientific message on the complexity of intestinal microbiomas. Inspired by his thesis work in oceanic metaproteomic, Meyer says: “I think a lot about when and why microbes produce different proteins to adapt to environmental changes, and how it depends on the rest of the microbial community and the exchange of metabolic products between organisms.”
Meyer had hoped to participate in the competition for the previous year, but the time constraints of his laboratory work suspended his submission. Now in the midst of thesis works, she has seen the competition as a means of adding a certain variety to what she wrote while keeping engaged with her scientific interests. However, writing has always been a passion. “I wrote a lot when I was a child (” author “often preceded” scientific “as dream work while I was in primary school), and I always write fiction during my free time,” she says.
Appointed winner of the Grand Prix of $ 10,000, Meyer says that the trial and the preparation of the presentation were extremely enriching.
“The chance to explore a new subject which, although linked to my field, was definitely out of my comfort zone, really pushed me as a writer and scientific. This made me read articles that I had never found before, and to dig into concepts that I would have barely encountered. The people of a bunch of different fields and departments around the MIT. »»
Consider the future of computer prices
Coparrained by the Social and ethical responsibilities of IT (SERC), a cross initiative of MIT Schwarzman College of Computing of Human Sciences, Arts and Social Sciences (Shass), with the support of Mac3 students through various majors, including this year's competition, undergraduate and electricity and computer engineering, physics, donations and others.
Caspar Hare, dean partner of the SERC and professor of philosophy, launched the price in 2025. He said that the object of the price was “to encourage students to think about what they do, not only in terms of evolution of computer -related technologies, but also in terms of the way the decisions they take may or may not work for our collective advantage”.
He stressed that the imagination of the future of the price of computer science will continue to remain “interesting and important” for the MIT community. There are plans in place to modify the competition of next year, offering more workshop and advice possibilities for those who wish to submit tests.
“Everyone is delighted to continue this as long as it remains relevant, which could be eternally,” he said, suggesting that in the years to come, the price could give us a series of historical shots of what students in the MIT of IT technologies have found the most convincing.
“IT technology will transform and change the world. MIT students will remain much of this. ”
Win a winner
As part of a two -step evaluation process, all the trials submitted have been examined anonymously by a committee of members of the faculty of the college, Shass and the Department of Urban Studies and Planning. The judges have advanced three finalists on the basis of the articles that have been deemed the most articulated, in -depth, anchored, imaginative and inspiring.
At the beginning of May, a live award ceremony was held where the finalists were invited to make 20 minutes' presentations on their entries and answered the public questions. Nearly 140 members of the MIT community, family members and friends attended the ceremony in support of the finalists. The members of the public and the jury asked the presenters stimulating and thoughtful questions on the societal impact of their fictitious IT technologies.
A final count, which represented 75% of his test score and 25% of their presentation score, determined the winner.
This year's judgment committee included:
- Marzyeh Ghassemi, associate professor in electrical engineering and computer engineering;
- Caspar Hare, dean partner of SERC and professor of philosophy;
- Jason Jackson, associate professor of political economy and town planning;
- Brad Skow, professor of philosophy;
- Armando Solar-Lezama, associate director and head of the operation of the MIT computer and artificial intelligence laboratory; And
- NIKOS TRICHAKIS, acting dean associate of SERC and associate professor for operations management.
The judges also granted $ 5,000 to the two finalists: Martin StadeckerA student graduated in the technological and political program of the Institute for Data, Systems and Society, for his test on a fictional system based on tokens to follow fossil fuels, and Juan SantoyoA doctoral student in the Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department, for his news of an AI deployed on the ground designed to help the mental health of soldiers during conflict. Furthermore, Eight honorable mentions have been recognized, each receiving a cash price of $ 1,000.
