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The MIT Quest for Intelligence

The Science of Intelligence meets the Engineering of Intelligence

Spotlights

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News

News from the Quest, Summer 2025

Our updates from the 2024-2025 academic year: Celebrating CBMM, Children Helping Science, and the latest UROP class.

stylized image of brain overlaid with "We Are Hiring"

Opportunity

We're Hiring!

The Quest is currently searching for a Corporate Engagement Manager. Please consider joining our team!

image of objects suspended out of context (a teakettle in a woodland setting, for example) from the paper, overlaid with an image of an eye

Research

New insights to the function of the brain’s ventral visual stream

Jim DiCarlo, Josh Tenenbaum, and collaborators are researching a major brain pathway that processes visual information. Computational models show that the ventral stream may be more versatile than previously thought and may perform other functions. 

Event

Cognitive Tools for Making the Invisible Visible

Stanford University Assistant Professor of Psychology Judy Fan spoke at the BCS Colloquium in conjunction with the Quest for Intelligence on Thursday, March 20th. Watch the talk and Q&A.

CBMM logo

Our Roots

Center for Brains, Minds, and Machines

The Quest for Intelligence is built on the Foundations of CBMM, a multi-institutional NSF Science and Technology Center dedicated to the study of intelligence — how the brain produces intelligent behavior and how we may be able to replicate intelligence in machines.

Student presenting at an event

News

News from the Quest, Summer 2025

Our updates from the 2024-2025 academic year: Celebrating CBMM, Children Helping Science, and the latest UROP class.

stylized image of brain overlaid with "We Are Hiring"

Opportunity

We're Hiring!

The Quest is currently searching for a Corporate Engagement Manager. Please consider joining our team!

image of objects suspended out of context (a teakettle in a woodland setting, for example) from the paper, overlaid with an image of an eye

Research

New insights to the function of the brain’s ventral visual stream

Jim DiCarlo, Josh Tenenbaum, and collaborators are researching a major brain pathway that processes visual information. Computational models show that the ventral stream may be more versatile than previously thought and may perform other functions. 

Event

Cognitive Tools for Making the Invisible Visible

Stanford University Assistant Professor of Psychology Judy Fan spoke at the BCS Colloquium in conjunction with the Quest for Intelligence on Thursday, March 20th. Watch the talk and Q&A.

CBMM logo

Our Roots

Center for Brains, Minds, and Machines

The Quest for Intelligence is built on the Foundations of CBMM, a multi-institutional NSF Science and Technology Center dedicated to the study of intelligence — how the brain produces intelligent behavior and how we may be able to replicate intelligence in machines.

    Missions + Platforms

    To understand intelligence, the Quest fosters and funds research Missions, which are supported by Platforms.

    • Brain-Score

      The Brain-Score platform aims to yield accurate, machine-executable computational models of how the brain gives rise to the mind. Read More

    • Intelligence Observatory

      The Intelligence Observatory is a human behavioral testing and benchmarking platform. Read More

    • Embodied Intelligence

      The Embodied Intelligence mission addresses how we perceive the world around us and integrate this information to plan and complete tasks. Read More

    • The Development of Intelligent Minds

      This mission aims to understand how children grasp new concepts and build upon layers of concepts to reach an understanding of the world. Read More

    • Scaling Inference

      The Scaling Inference team pursues an alternate scaling route for AI systems and for NI models, based on inference in probabilistic programs. Read More

    • Language

      The Language mission aims to understand the relationship between language and human intelligence. Read More

    • Perceptual Intelligence

      The Perceptual Intelligence mission aims  to produce machine executable models of human visual intelligence. Read More

    See all Missions + Platforms »

    News

    • Recent news from the MIT Quest for Intelligence (June 2025)

      After final exams are submitted and Commencement crowds have dispersed, MIT takes a collective deep breath, admires the accomplishments of its outstanding community, and begins planning for the academic year ahead. At the Quest for Intelligence, we are looking back and celebrating the remarkable Center for Brains, Minds, and Machines, cheering on our Engineering Team for their hard work building new tools in collaboration with Children Helping Science, and waving goodbye to our incredible UROPs. 

      Here’s what’s new at the Quest.

    • Quest UROPs 2024-2025

      This year's UROPs performed research with the Language and Embodied Intelligence Missions as well as the Brain-Score platform.

    • Recent news from the MIT Quest for Intelligence

      In spring, the green grass and blue skies bring new energy to all our endeavors — and at the Quest, the past few months have seen remarkable activity in all our Missions and Platforms.

      We’re excited to share a few updates with you — and we hope to engage in person, whether in Cambridge or elsewhere.

    See all news »