The Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (MPI-IS) is a research institute of the Max Planck Society, founded on 18 March 2011. With locations in Stuttgart and Tübingen, Germany, it conducts interdisciplinary research in the field of intelligent systems, seeking to understand how intelligent systems perceive, learn, and interact, and to apply this knowledge to create innovative technologies. The institute's work combines research in hardware, software, and theory, exploring how computational, physical, and social intelligence can address complex real-world problems.
Research at MPI-IS is organized into six departments and numerous independent research groups, led by a faculty of Directors, Group Leaders, and Max Planck Fellows. The institute emphasizes collaboration across disciplines, including Machine learning, robotics, materials science, and social computation.
Research departments
The institute's six departments cover a range of topics. The Empirical Inference department, led by Bernhard Schölkopf in Tübingen, focuses on causal inference and Machine learning theory. The Haptic Intelligence department, led by Katherine Kuchenbecker in Stuttgart, studies touch and haptic feedback in human-robot interaction. The Perceiving Systems department, led by Michael J. Black in Tübingen, works on computer vision and body modeling. The Robotic Materials and Physical Intelligence department, led by Christoph Keplinger in Stuttgart, develops soft robotics and adaptive materials. The Social Foundations of Computation department, led by Moritz Hardt in Tübingen, examines the societal impacts of algorithms and Artificial intelligence.
Research groups and fellows
MPI-IS hosts numerous independent research groups, each with a specific focus. These include groups on AI safety and alignment, led by Maksym Andriushchenko; algorithms and society, led by Celestine Mendler-Dünner; biomimetic materials and machines, led by Florian Hartmann; and robust machine learning, led by Wieland Brendel. Other groups address topics such as cooperative machine intelligence, embodied social interaction, human aspects of machine learning, and neuromechanics of movement. The institute also supports Max Planck Fellow Groups, including Intelligent Construction and Building Systems, led by Achim Menges, and Interactive Learning, led by Andreas Krause in collaboration with ETH Zurich.
Initiatives and networks
MPI-IS cooperates with ETH Zurich in the research field of learning systems through the Max Planck ETH Center for Learning Systems (CLS), founded in 2015. This joint doctoral program was the first of its kind between ETH Zurich and the Max Planck Society. Since its founding, 112 doctoral students and post-docs have been admitted as Fellows or Associated Fellows, and the center currently counts 50 directors, professors, and research group leaders among its members. In July 2019, the Max Planck Society and ETH Zurich agreed to extend the program's funding until 2025.
Since December 2016, MPI-IS has been part of the Cyber Valley research network, which includes the University of Stuttgart, the University of Tübingen, the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, the State of Baden-Württemberg, and seven industrial partners: Amazon, BMW Group, Daimler AG, IAV GmbH, Porsche AG, Robert Bosch GmbH, and ZF Friedrichshafen AG. Cyber Valley is also supported by several foundations, including the Christian Bürkert Foundation, the Gips-Schüle Foundation, the Vector Foundation, and the Carl Zeiss Foundation.
In 2018, MPI-IS helped found the European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems (ELLIS), an initiative aimed at strengthening Europe's role in global AI research. ELLIS focuses on promoting excellence in Deep learning and related fields across the continent.
Impact and collaboration
The institute's work has contributed to advances in areas such as Neural network architectures, Residual Network (ResNet) designs, and Generative AI methods. Its researchers often collaborate with other Max Planck Institutes and international partners, including Stanford AI Lab and MIT CSAIL. The institute also engages with industry through its participation in Cyber Valley, fostering technology transfer and applied research.
See also
- Lists of open-source artificial intelligence software
- Comparison of deep learning software
- Comparison of machine learning software