GIST and MIT Launch Full-Scale Research on Human-Centered Physical AI Interaction

The Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) announced on September 23 that it will begin full-scale joint research in the field of artificial intelligence with the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States.

This agreement officially took effect after it was signed by GIST Vice President for Research Kim Yongcheol on September 2 and MIT CSAIL Director Daniela L. Rus on September 13. The agreement is valid for two years and may be extended by mutual consent.

Having built trust through joint research since 2021, GIST and MIT CSAIL are now entering the fifth year of their collaboration and have formalized their partnership at the university level.

Through this memorandum of understanding, the two universities will pursue comprehensive cooperation, including faculty exchanges, student and researcher exchange programs, joint research projects, and symposiums. In particular, joint research in the fields of human-computer interaction (HCI) and physical AI is drawing attention.

This agreement also serves to strengthen the foundation of the “GIST-MIT Human-Centered Physical AI Interaction Research Center,” which is operated by GIST as the lead institution. GIST was recently selected for the “Establishment of Overseas Excellent Research Institution Cooperation Hub Project” by the Ministry of Science and ICT, and will receive 7.7 billion won in funding over the next six years. Collaboration with MIT is expected to gain further momentum as a result.

Kim Seungjun, professor at the School of AI Convergence and head of the overseas cooperation hub project, stated, “The achievements and trust built through five years of joint research have now come to fruition with this agreement,” adding, “This represents the realization of a more systematic and sustainable long-term partnership.”

With this agreement, GIST aims to establish itself as a global hub for research collaboration in the field of physical AI and to contribute to nurturing the next generation of global AI talent through GIST-MIT personnel exchanges. In addition, the two universities will form a working group to implement the agreement and will work to disseminate the results of their joint research at international conferences.

Kim Yongcheol, Vice President for Research, emphasized, “The collaboration between GIST and MIT CSAIL is more than just research exchange; it is a strategic partnership that will lead future innovation in AI technology. This will serve as an opportunity for us to become a global leader in the development of human-centered AI technology.”

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