MIT Media Lab
The MIT Media Lab is an interdisciplinary research laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology founded in 1985 by Nicholas Negroponte and Jerome B. Wiesner to pioneer creative inventions at the intersection of media, technology, and human experience.[1][2] Operating as a "creative sandbox" without rigid departmental boundaries, it promotes fluid collaboration across diverse fields such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, robotics, and design to develop prototypes and concepts that address societal challenges.[3][4] The Lab's model relies heavily on sponsorships from corporations and philanthropists, funding exploratory projects that have influenced areas including tangible user interfaces, affective computing, and wearable technologies.[5] Notable for its anti-disciplinary ethos and rapid prototyping culture, the Media Lab has hosted influential figures like Pattie Maes and Hiroshi Ishii, whose groups have advanced human-computer interaction and physical computing.[4] However, it has faced significant scrutiny over ethical lapses in funding practices, particularly during Joi Ito's directorship from 2011 to 2019, when the Lab accepted approximately $800,000 in donations from Jeffrey Epstein—a convicted sex offender—while concealing his involvement despite internal knowledge of his criminal history, leading to Ito's resignation and an MIT investigation that revealed inadequate oversight and policy violations.[6][7][8] Following Dava Newman's leadership from 2021 to 2025, the Lab transitioned to dual direction under Faculty Director Tod Machover and Executive Director Jessica Rosenworcel, emphasizing continued innovation amid calls for stronger governance.[9][10][11]