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, it conducts interdisciplinary research in the field of intelligent systems, seeking to understand how systems perceive, learn, and interact. The institute aims to combine research in hardware, software, and theory to create technologies that benefit society, 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, each led by faculty including Directors, Group Leaders, and Max Planck Fellows. The institute's work spans topics in Machine learning, Robotics, and computer vision, with a strong emphasis on collaboration across disciplines.
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-machine interaction. The Perceiving Systems department, led by Michael J. Black in Tübingen, works on computer vision and models of human perception. 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 data-driven systems.
Research Groups and Fellows
MPI-IS hosts numerous independent research groups addressing specific topics. These include the AI Safety and Alignment group led by Maksym Andriushchenko, the Robust Machine Learning group led by Wieland Brendel, and the Safety- and Efficiency-Aligned Learning group led by Jonas Geiping, all in Tübingen. Other groups focus on areas such as biomimetic materials, cyborg robotics, and the human aspects of Machine learning. The institute also supports Max Planck Fellow Groups, including the Intelligent Construction and Building Systems group led by Achim Menges and the Interactive Learning group led by Andreas Krause, which operates in collaboration with ETH Zurich.
Max Planck ETH Center for Learning Systems
MPI-IS and ETH Zurich cooperate through the Max Planck ETH Center for Learning Systems (CLS), founded as the first joint doctoral program between ETH Zurich and the Max Planck Society. Since its founding in 2015, the program has admitted 112 doctoral students and post-docs as Fellows or Associated Fellows. As of 2019, CLS counted 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.
Cyber Valley and ELLIS
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 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 Artificial intelligence research.
See Also
- Lists of open-source artificial intelligence software
- Comparison of deep learning software
- Comparison of machine learning software