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MIT ’ s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab ( CSAIL ) is more than just the only academic research department whose website doesn ’ t look like it was built in 1998 . It ’ s a global leader in making AI work … for people . Is that human touch – the navigable website , the tools that seek to improve life for ordinary people , not just data scientists – the result of Daniela Rus ’ s influence ? You ’ d think so . In fact , Rus ’ s own research is all about getting robots to talk to each other and reconfigure themselves without human intervention . In her own words , AI “ is nothing more than a tool ”. Still , there ’ s no doubting that she presides over one of the world ’ s great centres for ‘ good ’ AI . “ I believe that we can do extraordinarily positive things with AI ,” she says , “ but it is not a given that that will happen .” FEBRUARY 2021