When asked to imagine "a peacock eating ice cream," you might do so easily. An AI model that has never had to combine those concepts might struggle. A groundbreaking interdisciplinary team at Carnegie Mellon is training AI to ask "why" and teaching models to separate ideas from visual components.

Carnegie Mellon will collaborate on a federally funded project to rethink and redesign wheelchairs. @cmurobotics.bsky.social researchers will spearhead the software integration of a robotic arm into the wheelchair design. The project is funded up to $41.5 million by @arpa-h.bsky.social. #Research

Candy detected: initiating trick-or-treat mode 🍫 On a mission for Halloween candy, this robot had to get through some obstacles. Researchers from the @cmurobotics.bsky.social are making it easier for robots to intelligently interact with obstacles. #Halloween #Robotics

Burcu Akinci has been appointed the next Dean of the Carnegie Mellon University College of Engineering, effective Jan. 1, 2026. Currently head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Akinci has been a member of the CMU community for nearly 25 years. 👏 @cmuengineering.bsky.social

After watching a friend struggle with finger braces worn for arthritis, @hcii.cmu.edu Ph.D. student Yuyu Lin was inspired to create a solution. Lin worked with fellow researchers in the Interactive Structures Lab to create the first 3D-printed finger brace that easily shifts from rigid to flexible.

In the latest episode of Where What If Becomes What's Next, we speak with Dr. Zico Kolter, head of the CMU Machine Learning Department and OpenAI board member. Kolter chairs its Safety and Security Committee, where he explores the critical challenge of safely developing artificial intelligence.

As AI data centers demand more power, CMU is recovering renewable energy materials from batteries to push the power grid forward. 🔋 Researchers are working to extend the lifespan of older batteries and repurpose existing ones for energy storage, and serve as added storage to power cars and homes.

Carnegie Mellon researchers shared their transformative work during an Innovation Exhibit with attendees at Forging the Future: The Intersection of Health, AI and Tech, organized in partnership with the Council on Competitiveness and the Global Federation of Competitiveness Councils (GFCC).

The GFCC 2025 Global Innovation Summit continued Tuesday with a panel discussion about how Pittsburgh is uniquely positioned to be a leader in the integration of artificial intelligence. CMU researchers lent their expertise to discussions around leveraging tech opportunities to advance #healthcare.

Ten CMU doctoral students pursuing AI research will receive support from Amazon through the company's new AI Ph.D. Fellowship Program. The researchers, from across @scsatcmu.bsky.social and @cmuengineering.bsky.social, are tackling the foundational challenges and systems critical to AI innovation.

Carnegie Mellon University’s leadership in artificial intelligence, robotics and health care took center stage during a global innovation summit held this week at the University of Pittsburgh. Read more: cmu.is/forging-the-...

"This is a huge breakthrough." At CMU, we are at the forefront of discovery that will shape the future of medical treatment. Neuroscientist Aryn Gittis analyzes how the brain controls movement. Her #research is pointing toward new treatments for Parkinson's disease.

Decoding the brain's hand alphabet 🧠🔠 CMU researchers have discovered that our brains organize hand movements much like an alphabet, combining a vocabulary of everyday actions. Understanding how our brains function can lead to better prosthetics and treatment for motor control problems.

Congratulations to Maarten Sap for being named a recipient of a 2025 Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering! 👏 Sap, a professor in @ltiatcmu.bsky.social, was recognized for his work to make artificial intelligence adaptive and knowledgeable about diverse cultures. @scsatcmu.bsky.social

Today, Carnegie Mellon and Amazon have announced the launch of the CMU-Amazon AI Innovation Hub, reinforcing a shared commitment to advancing cutting-edge research through academic-private sector partnerships.

AI is revolutionizing gene therapy by making treatments more targeted while reducing side effects. Professor Andreas Pfenning joined Where What If Becomes What's Next to discuss #research from his lab, which is developing precision gene therapies for chronic pain with the help of #AI. 🎧 Listen:

For more than a decade, CMU neuroscientist Aryn Gittis has studied how the brain controls movement. Her lab studies the basal ganglia, a part of the brain that is tied to the motor control issues that mark Parkinson’s. Their discovery could reshape treatments of the disease. #Research

Introducing our Fall 2025 titles, a full slate of poetry, fiction, and even our first academic title 🍁 Learn more about them here: www.cmu.edu/universitypr...

75 years ago, CMU alumnus John Nash laid the foundation for game theory, influencing fields from business strategy to computer science. His contributions earned him the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 1994 and remain a cornerstone of modern decision-making. www.cmu.edu/.../news.../...

“The Fulbright Program is still a powerful tool for fostering international understanding and preventing conflict." Fulbright recipient Ava Folloni will use her engineering skills in Rwanda, where she will evaluate the long-term effects of water supply systems.

By combining AI with human expertise, @cmuscience.bsky.social researchers have developed a new approach to creating rubber-like materials. These materials, or polymers, can take years to develop. The machine-learning model helped chemists create a polymer that is both strong and flexible.

From CMU grad to global immunology leader 🦠 Congrats to @slg1717.bsky.social, winner of the 2025 @cmu.edu Alumni Achievement Award for her trailblazing research on IL-17 and immune defense! 🧫 Her groundbreaking IL-17 research has transformed the field of immunology and improved lives worldwide.

Scams and fraud are nothing new. What changes are the tools used to exploit vulnerable users. In @theconversation.com, Carnegie Mellon Professor of Information Systems Rahul Telang explains new tactics that criminals are using in the age of AI and cryptocurrencies. #CybersecurityAwarenessMonth

Every year, millions of workers miss out on the Earned Income Tax Credit, leaving about $7 billion in unclaimed refunds. A team of @cmuheinzcollege.bsky.social graduate students set out to change that. They partnered with the National League of Cities to help people learn about the credit.

Carnegie Mellon University has inducted its second cohort of CMU Rales Fellows. 👏 The 34 CMU Rales Fellows in the 2025 cohort are exceptional scholars, creative innovators and purpose-driven leaders committed to making a meaningful impact in their fields and communities.

CMU researchers have created new AI models that can better detect chronic kidney disease in patients. Earlier detection will lead to better treatment plans and reduced health gaps for people living with kidney disease. #Research

AI is revolutionizing emergency response to help save lives during disasters. Machine learning professor Aarti Singh joined the latest episode of Where What if Becomes What's Next. Singh explained how breakthrough technologies can analyze disaster damage in minutes. 🎧 Listen now:

It's CMU's Startup Week! 💡 Today's focus of Lab to Market offers a look at promising research-driven startups. @cmu-ece.bsky.social professor and co-founder and CEO of Efficient Computer Brandon Lucia emphasizes how CMU's unique environment is positioned for commercializing research.

CMU and University of Pittsburgh researchers teamed up to help doctors study how sickle cell disease affects the brain as patients age. 🧠 Their method uses noninvasive light-based technology that could lead to earlier detection of complications and improve care. #Research

"No student will be able to leave the program without a strong grounding in using computers to ask and answer humanities questions." CMU's Dietrich College is equipping humanists with the tools needed to answer big societal questions through a new Ph.D. program in computational cultural studies.

No. 1 in AI, Cybersecurity, Mobile/Web Apps, Programming Languages, and Software Engineering. No. 2 overall in CS. Top five in Biotechnology, Systems, Data Science, Game Development, and Theory.

We’re proud to share that the Tepper School Undergraduate Business Administration program has once again been ranked No. 6 by U.S. News & World Report! Read more here: cmu.is/427HM5B #CMUTepper #CMUTepperd#BusinessEducationk#USNewsRankings

In the newly released 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings, Carnegie Mellon University is No. 1 in seven undergraduate disciplines and 20th among national universities! 👏 ➡️ cmu.is/US-News-and-World-Report-2026

CMU students are helping disaster relief workers predict emergency shelter needs within minutes of an earthquake. @americanredcross.bsky.social tasked students to develop a forecasting tool. CMU students accepted the challenge, and now the Red Cross plans to train its staff on their product.

43 years ago today our digital vocabulary expanded tremendously through a simple :-) or :-( On Sept. 19, 1982, Scott Fahlman, a research professor in @scsatcmu.bsky.social, proposed the use of smiley emoticons "for joke markers." That makes us :-) ➡️ cmu.is/Smiley-Emoticon | #Emoticon

🎉 HAPPY 43rd bday to the emoticon! Before 😀 there was :-) In 1982, Prof. Scott Fahlman created the sideways smiley to help distinguish jokes from serious posts on message boards. This became the foundation for today's billion-dollar emoji industry! Visit the #CMU125 exhibit: cmu.is/room-to-imagine

CMU125 at Homecoming Weekend is Nov. 6-8! Register now for this landmark celebration: cmu.is/homecoming

Undergrads brought the energy to MCS Pride Day — thanks for making it unforgettable!

ON THIS DAY in 2009, Google acquired reCAPTCHA! Ever wonder why you prove you're human online? @cmu.edu Prof Manuel Blum & grad student Luis von Ahn (SCS 2005) created CAPTCHA—those squiggly letters distinguishing humans from bots. 🤖👩‍💻 Celebrate 125 years of CMU history here: cmu.is/room-to-imagine

Our friends @geekwire.com have launched season two of the Does Compute podcast. On this week's episode, learn more about how play creates connections and cultivates empathy as The CTP's Director, Dr. Jessica Hammer, explains how play can open doors for people of all ages.

Carnegie Mellon experts were critical to the conversation on harnessing AI's potential for societal good at AI Horizons. Insightful conversations focused on how to move AI from concept to real-world impact across a wide range of industries. Read the full recap: cmu.is/AI-Horizons

Join @barbsc.bsky.social for “Discovery to Defense: AI and Biomanufacturing at the Frontline” as part of AI Horizons! www.youtube.com/@AIHorizonsP...

Carnegie Mellon leaders and faculty shared their expertise amongst fellow researchers and industry experts at AI Horizons 2025. Recap ➡️ cmu.is/AI-Horizons

BNY and CMU have announced a five-year, $10 million agreement to support world-class research and development in artificial intelligence. The collaboration will connect students, faculty and staff with BNY experts to advance AI applications and systems, and prepare the next generation of leaders.

Pittsburgh is at the center of the AI revolution — and we’re excited to help power it. #AIHorizons2025 features many Carnegie Mellon experts who are at the forefront of AI innovation and deployment.

Physical AI refers to any system that interacts with and adapts to our physical world. Unlike digital AI agents, physical AI involves sensing, reacting and making decisions in real-world environments. 💡 An example of physical AI: CMU's BrickGPT, which uses AI to turn words into buildable designs.

Achievement Unlocked 🏆 25 years of ETC CMU's Entertainment Technology Center serves as a playground for dreamers and builders to innovate at an intersection of art and technology. @cmuetc.bsky.social was founded in 1999 as a collaboration between the College of Fine Arts and @scsatcmu.bsky.social.

Over the past 40 years, Carnegie Mellon's Software Engineering Institute has been at the forefront of improving software systems vital to national defense and the information technology ecosystem. Government, CMU and SEI leaders gathered to celebrate the SEI's four decades of innovation.

A study from @teppercmu.bsky.social finds that name, image and likeness rules in college athletics are leveling the playing field in college #football. 🏈 💡 What it found: wider distribution of talent across college programs benefits athletes who seek to maximize their earning potential. #Research

CMU students and math artist Glen Whitney created “Knight’s Move,” an 8-foot sculpture on Wean Hall’s patio. Representing 288 knight moves on a 3D chessboard, it’s a bold mix of math and art. Check it out this fall! www.cmu.edu/mcs/news-eve...