Could the ideal combination of potentially transformative, AI-enhanced healthcare and the urge to boost profits via subscription models dissuade at-risk patients?
For the third consecutive year, MIT’s Envisioning the Future of Computing Prize invited students to articulate, in 3,000 words or fewer, how breakthroughs in computing may influence human society positively or negatively. All submissions were in contention for several cash awards.
Inspired by recent studies highlighting the significant role microbiomes play in overall health, Annaliese Meyer, a PhD candidate in Oceanography and Applied Ocean Science and Engineering at MIT-WHOI Joint Program, devised the “B-Bots” concept—a synthetic bacterial replica intended to manage gut biomes, activated via Bluetooth.
For the competition, which urges MIT students to express their thoughts on the future shaped by innovations in computing, Meyer presented a speculative fiction piece illustrating how recipients of a groundbreaking healthcare solution find their treatment threatened by the advent of a subscription-based payment model.
In her award-winning essay titled “(Pre/Sub)scribe,” Meyer narrates the experience of B-Bots through the eyes of both their inventor and a user named Briar. They praise the benefits of the supplement, aiding them in managing vitamin shortages and chronic ailments such as acid reflux and irritable bowel syndrome. Meyer articulates that adopting a B-Bots subscription model “appeared to be an ideal chance to clearly demonstrate that in a profit-driven healthcare system, even medical breakthroughs that could be, in theory, transformative for human health may inadvertently cause more damage than benefit for those suffering from the extensive wealth gap in contemporary society.”
As a Canadian, Meyer has witnessed the disparities between the healthcare frameworks in Canada and the United States. She reflects on her mother’s recent cancer treatments, stressing the costs and coverage of medical interventions in British Columbia compared to those in the U.S.
Beyond serving as a warning regarding equity in the American healthcare landscape, Meyer aspires for readers to grasp an additional scientific insight concerning the intricacies of gut microbiomes. Inspired by her thesis research in ocean metaproteomics, Meyer comments, “I often ponder when and why microbes synthesize various proteins to adapt to environmental shifts, and how this relies on the remainder of the microbial community and the exchange of metabolic substances among organisms.”
Meyer had intended to participate in last year’s contest, but the demands of her lab work postponed her submission. Now, amid her thesis endeavors, she viewed the contest as a means to diversify her writing while remaining connected to her scientific interests. Writing has always fueled her passion. “I wrote extensively as a child (‘author’ actually came before ‘scientist’ as my dream profession in elementary school), and I still engage in fiction writing during my downtime,” she shares.
Upon being awarded the $10,000 grand prize, Meyer shares that crafting the essay and preparing the presentation was immensely fulfilling.
“The opportunity to delve into a new subject area that, while linked to my discipline, definitely pushed me outside my comfort zone, significantly enhanced my capabilities as both a writer and a scientist. It prompted me to explore papers I would have never discovered, and investigate ideas I had little previous exposure to. (Did I possess any real knowledge of the patent process prior to this? Certainly not.) The awards dinner itself was a blast; it was wonderful to celebrate with friends and colleagues while also getting to know individuals from various fields and departments at MIT.”
Envisioning the future of the computing prize
Co-sponsored by the Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Computing (SERC), a broad initiative of the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing and the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (SHASS), with backing from MAC3 Philanthropies, this year’s contest garnered 65 submissions from undergraduate and graduate scholars across diverse fields, including cognitive and brain sciences, economics, electrical engineering and computer science, physics, anthropology, and more.
Caspar Hare, associate dean of SERC and professor of philosophy, initiated the prize in 2023. He notes that the objective of the prize was “to motivate MIT students to contemplate their actions, not just concerning the advancement of computing technologies, but also regarding how their choices could collectively benefit or hinder society.”
He stressed that the Envisioning the Future of Computing prize will remain “relevant and significant” within the MIT community. Plans are underway to modify next year’s contest, providing increased avenues for workshops and guidance for aspiring essay submitters.
“Everyone is enthusiastic about sustaining this as long as it continues to be pertinent, which could potentially be indefinitely,” he remarks, suggesting that in the future the prize could yield a series of historical snapshots of the computing technologies that intrigued MIT students the most.
“Computing technology is set to reshape and revolutionize the world. MIT students will continue to be a major part of this.”
Crowning a winner
In a two-phase assessment process, all submitted essays were evaluated anonymously by a committee comprising faculty members from the college, SHASS, and the Department of Urban Studies and Planning. The judges advanced three finalists based on which papers were considered the most articulate, thorough, grounded, imaginative, and inspiring.
In early May, a live awards ceremony took place where the finalists presented 20-minute talks on their submissions and addressed audience questions. Nearly 140 members of the MIT community, along with family and friends, attended to support the finalists. Attendees and the judging committee posed challenging and insightful questions regarding the societal ramifications of their conceptual computing technologies.
A final assessment, comprising 75 percent of the essay score and 25 percent of the presentation score, determined the ultimate winner.
This year’s judging panel included:
- Marzyeh Ghassemi, associate professor in electrical engineering and computer science;
- Caspar Hare, associate dean of SERC and professor of philosophy;
- Jason Jackson, associate professor in political economy and urban planning;
- Brad Skow, professor of philosophy;
- Armando Solar-Lezama, associate director and chief operating officer of the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory; and
- Nikos Trichakis, interim associate dean of SERC and associate professor of operations management.
The judges also recognized two runners-up with $5,000 each: Martin Staadecker, a graduate student in the Technology and Policy Program at the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society, for his essay on a fictional token-based mechanism for tracking fossil fuels, and Juan Santoyo, a PhD candidate in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, for his short narrative involving a field-deployed AI created to enhance the mental health of soldiers during conflict. Additionally, eight honorable mentions were acknowledged, each receiving a cash award of $1,000.