Max Planck ETH Center for Learning Systems

📣 Next episode in our "Research at MPI for Informatics" video series is up! Watch to learn more about every department and IRG at our institute. The department for Visual Computing and Artificial Intelligence was established in 2021 by Director Professor Christian Theobalt. In this video, he shares how the department brings together AI, computer vision, computer graphics, and even ideas from quantum computing to develop models of the real world from sensor data. More info on the department's website: https://sic.link/mpid6

We’re thrilled to share that Professors Mennatallah El-Assady and Bernhard Schölkopf have been elected by the United Nations General Assembly to the newly established Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence. This global panel brings together 40 leading experts to assess the opportunities, risks and societal impact of AI and to provide evidence-based guidance to policymakers worldwide. Their selection reflects outstanding scientific leadership and international recognition across areas such as interactive visualisation, explainable AI, machine learning and causal inference. Both are expected to contribute to shaping a safe, inclusive and evidence-based digital future at a global level. Congratulations to Professors Menna El-Assady and Bernhard Schölkopf on this well-deserved recognition! 👏 Read more: https://lnkd.in/eeEncncB

Researchers at our Institute, ETH Zürich, Southeast University, and Koç University have developed an optoacoustically augmented magnetic guidewire (OptoMaG), that integrates optoacoustic imaging, magnetic navigation, and therapeutic functionality into a single flexible guidewire, enabling radiation-free, real-time navigation in complex vascular environments. The paper was now published in Science Advances: https://lnkd.in/d6YSVtVp Metin Sitti Fan WANG Erdost Yildiz MD PhD Ren Hao Soon Jelena Lazovic Zinnanti Xianqiang Bao Wenbin Kang Devin Sheehan

Researchers at ETH and the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems have developed a #RoboticLeg with #ArtificialMuscles. Inspired by living creatures, it jumps across different terrains in an agile and energy-efficient manner. 🦿 In brief • Researchers have developed the first robotic leg powered by artificial #ElectrHydraulicMuscles that can automatically adapt to uneven terrain. • The system is more #EnergyEfficient than electric motors, enabling high jumps and fast movements without complex #Sensors. • Although still in its infancy, the technology offers potential for future applications in #SoftRobotics. Article: https://lnkd.in/em6_gcqz Author: Deborah Kyburz Video: Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems Related: Robert Katzschmann, Soft Robotics Laboratory, ETH Zurich, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering (D-MAVT), ETH Zurich, Max Planck ETH Center for Learning Systems, Max Planck Society, Toshihiko Fukushima, Thomas Buchner, Max-Planck-Institut für Intelligente Systeme, Wolfram Scheible,

⚛️ What does it take to stay at the frontier of #AI? Last week, we welcomed Anthropic researchers — and founder of the Zurich office — Dr. Neil Houlsby, Dr. Bobby He, and Dr. Sotiris Anagnostidis to the ETH Al Center for a packed and insightful discussion moderated by our PhD researcher Frederike Lübeck, alongside our Core Faculty member Prof. Thomas Hofmann and researcher Dr. Imanol Schlag. The session focused on three central questions: • How do we stay at the research frontier? • How do we balance capabilities and safety? • How can industry & academia collaborate and complement each other in large-scale AI development? Key insights from the conversation: 🔹Frontier AI needs theory, not only scale. Lasting progress requires deeper scientific understanding and theory that leads rather than reacts — providing principles that hold independently of empirical insights. 🔹Capabilities and safety must advance in parallel. Leading Al labs increasingly treat them as interdependent research priorities. 🔹A valuable research approach: "Pull on the thread of what you don't understand." Curiosity-driven investigation remains central to scientific progress. 🔹 Academia remains fundamental - for foundational science, critical thinking, and training the next generation of Al researchers. We also introduced a Claude Credits program for our 1000+ members of the ETH Al Center research community. 📩 ETH AI Center researchers can request access to the form via our internal channels. Thank you to the Anthropic team, Greg Feingold and Cassie Evraets, and to the 150 attendees who joined us. Strengthening the bridge between ETH Zürich and leading AI research labs is key to advancing safe, capable, and scientifically grounded Al. ➡️ Next up: this Thursday, 27 November at the ETH AI Center — an AICATS talk on Machine Unlearning: New Settings and Algorithms. More info here: https://lnkd.in/dnmqXXFN Arnout Devos, Alicia Rieckhoff, Melanie Gabriel, Mauricio Moncada, Helga Rietz, Alex Ilic, Andreas Krause, Alexander Hoyle, Anna Hedström, Ido Hakimi

New video in our "Research at MPI" video series, in which we introduce each department and IRG at our Institute! 🎬🎥 Next up is the Computer Vision and Machine Learning Department (D2) at the Max Planck Institute for Informatics. The Department was founded in 2010 under the direction of Professor Bernt Schiele. In this video, he talks about the department’s work on explainable AI and foundation models, and how this connects to a range of real-world applications. ↪️ More info on the department's website: https://sic.link/mpid2

We would like to extend a very warm welcome to our new group leader, Renate Sachse! She has led the independent Cyber Valley Research Group, 'Mechanics for Intelligent Structures' at our Stuttgart site since the beginning of the new year. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/g8wU6QxR

The ELLIS Institute is proud to announce that Coefficient Giving is supporting our Principal Investigator Maksym Andriushchenko with a grant of $1,000,000 to fund his research on AI safety. Find out more on our website: https://lnkd.in/dTkjqBxT

We are proud to announce that the IEEE Board of Directors has named Prof. Florian Dorfler, Full Professor for Complex Systems Control and Deputy Head of the Automatic Control Laboratory, an IEEE Fellow, effective 1 January 2026. Well deserved! 👏 🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/e8VJJWQq