Kendall Square leaders explore how AI can serve community

A community-focused meeting

Kendall Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts — often called the most innovative square mile in the world — recently hosted a gathering that put community at the center of its conversation. The 18th Annual Meeting of the Kendall Square Association took place Thursday at The Engine, a nonprofit startup incubator. The event brought together business leaders, elected officials, residents, and students for food and discussion about the rise of new technologies and what they mean for everyday life.

Beth O'Neill Maloney, executive director of the Kendall Square Association, opened the event with a clear message. "People come to Kendall Square to make the world better," she said. "People come here to improve the human condition, people come here to solve big problems, and people come here to innovate for good."

Redefining AI's role in work

The question on many minds was how to keep technology from becoming a threat to workers. Daron Acemoglu, Institute Professor at MIT and winner of the 2024 Nobel Prize in economics, led the keynote discussion. He asked a direct question: "How can we make AI not an enemy of work, but a tool for workers to expand their capabilities and build new expertise or do new things?" ¹

Acemoglu also addressed his recent book, "What Happened to Liberal Democracy?" He argued that trust in democratic institutions is falling and political divides are growing. Still, he insisted that liberal democracy remains the best path forward. "I believe liberal democratic institutions, together with the norms that support them, are one of the greatest human achievements," he said.

Collaboration beyond the labs

Cambridge Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui highlighted that the area's strength goes beyond universities and research labs. "It isn't just the universities or labs, it's also the culture of collaboration among nonprofits, governments, and residents," she said.

Lee McGuire, chief communications officer at the Broad Institute, echoed that sentiment. "As long as there's a good idea, this is the place that's going to get that idea moving and scale it up to change the world," he said.

The Kendall Square Association is a nonprofit made up of more than 150 organizations across the area, including major companies, universities, research labs, and local shops and restaurants. The event also featured music from the Kendall Square Orchestra, a vote for new board members, and awards for groups making a positive impact through innovation.

Why this matters

The meeting reflected a growing awareness among leaders in one of the world's top innovation hubs: technological progress must go hand in hand with shared community benefit. As Acemoglu noted, the world faces "growing challenges" that require both new innovations and new ways of adapting to them.

Key facts

• The Kendall Square Association brings together over 150 organizations in Cambridge's innovation district
• MIT's Daron Acemoglu won the 2024 Nobel Prize in economics for his work on institutions and prosperity
• The event took place at The Engine, a nonprofit startup incubator
• Speakers focused on making AI a tool that expands workers' capabilities rather than a threat
• Cambridge Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui stressed that collaboration extends beyond universities and labs

Sources

1. Fostering community amid Kendall Square’s innovation