On February 27th , Profess Ju Li, MIT’s School of Engineering Carl Richard Soderberg Professor of Power Engineering, will discuss the impact of artificial intelligence and self-driving lab on the practice of research and development, in particular, clean energy research. ["Autonomous experiments using active learning and AI," Nature Reviews Materials 8 (2023) 563564; "A multimodal robotic platform for multi-element electrocatalyst discovery," Nature 647 (2025) 390-396] Rapid growth in modeling, experiment and reasoning capabilities, such as universal neural network interatomic potential (UNIP), large language model based hypothesis generation, robotic high-throughput experimentation, and knowledge-based Bayesian optimization (KABO) active learning algorithms, could usher in an era of “mass production of science”, but plenty of challenges and peril lie ahead.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ynexs.2025.100117
Ju Li has held faculty positions at the Ohio State University, the University of Pennsylvania, and is presently a chaired professor at MIT. He has joint appointments in the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. His group (http://Li.mit.edu) investigates the mechanical, electrochemical and transport behaviors of materials as well as novel means of energy storage and conversion. Ju is a recipient of the 2005 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the 2006 Materials Research Society Outstanding Young Investigator Award, and the TR35 award from Technological Review. He was elected Fellow of the American Physical Society in 2014, a Fellow of the Materials Research Society in 2017 and a Fellow of AAAS in 2020. Li is the chief organizer of MIT A+B Applied Energy Symposia that aim to develop solutions to global climate change challenges with “A-Action before 2040” and “B-Beyond 2040” technologies.
Tuesday, March 3, 2026
February 13, 2026: Jennie Hwang: The AI Bubble Myth – Intelligence Incorporated and the Global Race
On February 13th, Jennie Hwang, CEO & Principal H-Technologies Group, will add another dimension to our discussion of AI. The question “Is AI a bubble?” has become a pervasive inquiry In recent months across global business circles and broader society. This presentation moves beyond market sentiment to analyze the technical foundations that render this era’s “boom” structurally distinct. Adopting a holistic and systematic lens, we will explore the six pillars of this new global reality and the critical component technologies propelling them forward. The session will further illuminate the potential trajectories of AI, offering nuanced perspectives into the forces shaping its evolution and the escalating global race for Intelligence Incorporated. The attached is a reprint of Jennie’s latest column on AI, which was published in the January issue of SMT007 MAGAZINE.
An International Hall of Famer of Women in Technology, Dr. Hwang’s career spans over 40 years of global-trotting experience across technology, manufacturing, and governance. She has resolved mission-critical challenges in innovation, manufacturing, and product reliability for the electronic/microelectronic packaging and Surface Mount Technology manufacturing – most notably for flagship defense programs such as the F-22 Raptor. She has served as the co-Chair of the DoD/National Academies’ Artificial Intelligence Committee and the Chair of NSF’s National AI Institute on Adult Learning review panel. She has held senior executive positions with Lockheed Martin Corp. and CEO of International Electronic Materials Corp., among others. She is also an invited distinguished adjunct Professor of Engineering School of Case Western Reserve University and serves on the University’s Board of Trustees.
An author of ten (10) internationally-used textbooks and over 750 editorials/publications, Dr Hwang is a featured speaker for global forums, including the keynote university commencements, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on emerging technologies, and the DoD Federal Women’s Program. She has received numerous honors/ awards, including the YWCA Women of Achievement Award, an Industry Week “R&D Stars to Watch”, and served on the Board of NYSE Fortune 500 companies and various civic, government, and university boards and committees.
Her academic foundation includes the Harvard Business School Executive Program and four academic degrees (Ph.D., M.S., M.S., B.S.) in Materials Engineering, Physical Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and Liquid Crystal Science, respectively. Further Info: www.JennieHwang.com
An International Hall of Famer of Women in Technology, Dr. Hwang’s career spans over 40 years of global-trotting experience across technology, manufacturing, and governance. She has resolved mission-critical challenges in innovation, manufacturing, and product reliability for the electronic/microelectronic packaging and Surface Mount Technology manufacturing – most notably for flagship defense programs such as the F-22 Raptor. She has served as the co-Chair of the DoD/National Academies’ Artificial Intelligence Committee and the Chair of NSF’s National AI Institute on Adult Learning review panel. She has held senior executive positions with Lockheed Martin Corp. and CEO of International Electronic Materials Corp., among others. She is also an invited distinguished adjunct Professor of Engineering School of Case Western Reserve University and serves on the University’s Board of Trustees.
An author of ten (10) internationally-used textbooks and over 750 editorials/publications, Dr Hwang is a featured speaker for global forums, including the keynote university commencements, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on emerging technologies, and the DoD Federal Women’s Program. She has received numerous honors/ awards, including the YWCA Women of Achievement Award, an Industry Week “R&D Stars to Watch”, and served on the Board of NYSE Fortune 500 companies and various civic, government, and university boards and committees.
Her academic foundation includes the Harvard Business School Executive Program and four academic degrees (Ph.D., M.S., M.S., B.S.) in Materials Engineering, Physical Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and Liquid Crystal Science, respectively. Further Info: www.JennieHwang.com
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)