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Event

40 + 40: The Media Lab's 40th Celebration

Copyright

Olivia Verdugo | MIT Media Lab

Olivia Verdugo | MIT Media Lab

Wednesday — Saturday
October 21, 2026 —
October 24, 2026
9:00am — 6:00pm ET

The Brave.
The Beep.
The Bots.

Since the beginning, the Media Lab's mission has remained constant: To create transformative technologies, experiences, and systems that enable people to reimagine and redesign their lives—by engaging people everywhere through meaningful, creative experiences integrating art, science, design, and engineering. 

Now, 40 years in, we're marking this milestone by gathering the people who have built this place, bit-by-bit, and the ones who are taking it forward into the future. 

We’ll explore some of MIT Media Lab’s boldest accomplishments since its inception in 1985, when the idea of digital touchscreens and emotion-sensing technology were considered absurd, and we’ll honor the visionaries whose ideas were ahead of their time. That restless spirit hasn't changed.  Expect performances, the sights, sounds, and science of what can be.

We’re calling this event The Brave. The Beep. The Bots.

  • The Brave
    The MIT Media Lab community reaches far and wide, made up of dreamers and doers who put bold ideas into the world. We place the spirit of bold exploration, and the power to build, in everyone's hands. What does it mean to be brave, and what are we dreaming of for the next 40?
  • The Beep
    The constant frequency of digital life is ever present and will only grow stronger. Here, art, science, engineering, and design are woven into that signal. They interrogate it, shape it, and give it meaning. How might we tune this signal so it amplifies human expression rather than mutes it?
  • The Bots
    The bots are among us. They walk + talk, they collaborate, they make decisions on our behalf. They have the potential to replace us. What we want them to do, and what we want to remain our own, is the defining question of our time. The most profound bots augment our bodies and minds, but that future isn’t guaranteed.
    How might we flourish alongside the bots in ways that preserve and expand humanity?

Agenda

The agenda is subject to change. New information will be updated regularly. To stay up-to-date,  Bookmark this page (Press Ctrl+D (Windows) or Cmd+D (Mac) to add it to your bookmarks).  


While this event is a private gathering built by and for our community, we'd love to stay connected with you. We may share some highlights on video afterward, so keep an eye out. In the meantime, visit us at media.mit.edu, follow us on social media (links in footer), and subscribe to our LinkedIn Newsletter. There's plenty to discover!


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