Saleh Kalantari

Yuexing Hao, Yue Huang, Haoran Zhang et al.

Cutting-edge research in Artificial Intelligence (AI) requires considerable resources, including Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), data, and human resources. In this paper, we evaluate of the relationship between these resources and the scientific advancement of foundation models (FM). We reviewed 6517 FM papers published between 2022 to 2024, and surveyed 229 first-authors to the impact of computing resources on scientific output. We find that increased computing is correlated with national funding allocations and citations, but our findings don't observe the strong correlations with research environment (academic or industrial), domain, or study methodology. We advise that individuals and institutions focus on creating shared and affordable computing opportunities to lower the entry barrier for under-resourced researchers. These steps can help expand participation in FM research, foster diversity of ideas and contributors, and sustain innovation and progress in AI. The data will be available at: https://mit-calc.csail.mit.edu/

Saleh Kalantari, Tong Bill Xu, Armin Mostafavi et al.

Engaging with natural environments and representations of nature has been shown to improve mood states and reduce cognitive decline in older adults. The current study evaluated the use of virtual reality (VR) for presenting immersive 360 degree nature videos and a digitally designed interactive garden for this purpose. Fifty participants (age 60 plus), with varied cognitive and physical abilities, were recruited. Data were collected through pre/post-intervention surveys, standardized observations during the interventions, and post-intervention semi structured interviews. The results indicated significant improvements in attitudes toward VR and in some aspects of mood and engagement. The responses to the environment did not significantly differ among participants with different cognitive abilities; however, those with physical disabilities expressed stronger positive reactions on some metrics compared to participants without disabilities. Almost no negative impacts (cybersickness, task frustration) were found. In the interviews some participants expressed resistance to the technology, in particular the digital garden, indicating that it felt cartoonish or unappealing and that it could not substitute for real nature. However, the majority felt that the VR experiences could be a beneficial activity in situations when real-world contact with nature was not immediately feasible.

Jesus G. Cruz-Garza, Michael Darfler, James D. Rounds et al.

This study investigated the neural dynamics associated with short-term exposure to different virtual classroom designs with different window placement and room dimension. Participants engaged in five brief cognitive tasks in each design condition including the Stroop Test, the Digit Span Test, the Benton Test, a Visual Memory Test, and an Arithmetic Test. Performance on the cognitive tests and Electroencephalogram (EEG) data were analyzed by contrasting various classroom design conditions. The cognitive-test-performance results showed no significant differences related to the architectural design features studied. We computed frequency band-power and connectivity EEG features to identify neural patterns associated to environmental conditions. A leave one out machine learning classification scheme was implemented to assess the robustness of the EEG features, with the classification accuracy evaluation of the trained model repeatedly performed against an unseen participant's data. The classification results located consistent differences in the EEG features across participants in the different classroom design conditions, with a predictive power that was significantly higher compared to a baseline classification learning outcome using scrambled data. These findings were most robust during the Visual Memory Test, and were not found during the Stroop Test and the Arithmetic Test. The most discriminative EEG features were observed in bilateral occipital, parietal, and frontal regions in the theta and alpha frequency bands. While the implications of these findings for student learning are yet to be determined, this study provides rigorous evidence that brain activity features during cognitive tasks are affected by the design elements of window placement and room dimensions.