# Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems The Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (MPI-IS), founded in 2011, is a German research institute with locations in Stuttgart and Tübingen that investigates intelligent systems across hardware, software, and theory, focusing on perception, learning, and interaction. 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 intelligent systems perceive, learn, and interact, and to apply this knowledge to create technologies that benefit society. The institute combines research in hardware, software, and theory to address fundamental questions about intelligence and to develop intelligent behavior in machines. Its work explores how computational, physical, and social intelligence can work together to solve complex real-world problems, with a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration. 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 departments cover diverse areas such as empirical inference, haptic intelligence, perceiving systems, robotic materials, physical intelligence, and social foundations of computation. The institute is part of the broader Max Planck Society, which operates 84 institutes across Germany. ## Research Departments The Empirical Inference department, led by Bernhard Schölkopf in Tübingen, focuses on machine learning and causal inference. The Haptic Intelligence department, headed by Katherine Kuchenbecker in Stuttgart, studies touch and haptic feedback in robotic systems. Michael J. Black leads the Perceiving Systems department in Tübingen, which works on computer vision and human body modeling. The Robotic Materials and Physical Intelligence department, led by Christoph Keplinger in Stuttgart, develops soft robotics and adaptive materials. Moritz Hardt heads the Social Foundations of Computation department in Tübingen, examining the societal impacts of algorithms and [machine-learning](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/machine-learning). These departments collaborate across disciplines to advance the understanding of intelligent systems. ## Research Groups and Fellows MPI-IS hosts a wide range of current research groups, each with specific focuses. In Tübingen, groups include AI Safety and Alignment led by Maksym Andriushchenko, Algorithms and Society by Celestine Mendler-Dünner, Computational Applied Mathematics and AI Lab by Konstantin Rusch, and Cooperative Machine Intelligence for People-Aligned Safe Systems by Sahar Abdelnabi. Other Tübingen groups cover deep models and optimization, human aspects of machine learning, learning and dynamical systems, robust machine learning, safety- and efficiency-aligned learning, science and probabilistic intelligence, and wild, efficient, and innovative AI. In Stuttgart, groups focus on biomimetic materials and machines, cyborg robotics and intelligent sensing, embodied social interaction, neuromechanics of movement, organizational leadership and diversity, and robotic composites and compositions. The institute also hosts Max Planck Fellow Groups, including Intelligent Construction and Building Systems led by Achim Menges and Interactive Learning by Andreas Krause, which collaborates with ETH Zurich. These groups contribute to the institute's mission of advancing [artificial-intelligence](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/artificial-intelligence) research. ## Max Planck ETH Center for Learning Systems MPI-IS and ETH Zurich cooperate in the research field of learning systems 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, 112 doctoral students and post-docs have been admitted as Fellows or Associated Fellows. The center currently counts 50 directors, professors, and research group leaders among its members or associated members. In July 2019, the Max Planck Society and ETH Zurich agreed to extend the program's funding until 2025. The CLS fosters collaboration in areas such as [deep-learning](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/deep-learning) and [neural-network](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/neural-network) research, training the next generation of scientists in intelligent systems. ## 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 supported by the Christian Bürkert Foundation, the Gips-Schüle Foundation, the Vector Foundation, and the Carl Zeiss Foundation. This network promotes collaboration between academia and industry in [artificial-intelligence](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/artificial-intelligence) research. Additionally, MPI-IS is involved in the European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems (ELLIS), founded in 2018, which aims to strengthen Europe's role in global AI research. These initiatives position the institute as a key player in the European and international AI landscape, contributing to advancements in [machine-learning](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/machine-learning) and related fields. ## See Also - Lists of open-source artificial intelligence software - Comparison of deep learning software - Comparison of machine learning software --- Source: https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/max-planck-institute-intelligent-systems License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Last updated: 2026-09-05T14:08:20.081294+00:00