About

The mission of the Kempner Institute for the Study of Natural and Artificial Intelligence at Harvard University is to understand the basis of intelligence in natural and artificial systems. The Institute will strive collectively to reveal the fundamental mechanisms of intelligence, endow artificial intelligence (AI) with features of natural intelligence, and apply these new AI technologies for the benefit of humanity.

The Institute will recruit and train future generations of researchers to study intelligence from biological, cognitive, engineering, and computational perspectives.  It will elevate Harvard University’s standing in AI to the top ranks while expanding the national capacity to nurture new talent and develop expertise in a critical area of science and technology. Thus, the Institute will:

• Advance a fundamental and unified understanding of the nature of intelligence that has evolved in organisms and can be engineered in silico
• Train the next generation of researchers to work collaboratively across disciplines and to become versed in relevant areas of computational theory, AI and machine learning (ML), neuroscience, and cognitive science
• Translate theoretical advances to the development of next generation AI systems with qualitatively better capabilities for deeper reasoning and more efficient use of data
• Use knowledge gained from the study of AI systems to explain how the brain processes information, computes, learns and guides action
• Contextualize research via application challenges from complex domains of importance to humanity

Kempner Institute members are expected to model and support the following:

• Rigor in thought and research
• Constructive collaboration and community building
• Diversity
• Inclusivity, respect, and honesty in communication and action
• Curiosity to discover, connect, and understand
• A commitment to make the world a better