Understanding AI agency: between risk and progress

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Krishna Gummadi on the agency of artificial intelligence, AI agents, and potential societal impacts Four people in a meeting room, sitting in front of a whiteboard with laptops and notes. In the centre left is Krishna P. Gummadi, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Software Systems.

News

Solar prominence

How solar prominences form

April 22, 2026
Astronomy Astrophysics
Large amounts of matter are needed to create and sustain the massive plasma structures in the solar corona. New calculations reveal how this is possible
Detailed X-ray image of the sky, illustrating various cosmic phenomena with vibrant colors and bright spots.

Space telescope studies solar system X-ray glow

April 16, 2026
Astronomie Astrophysik Sonnensystem
SRG/eROSITA reveals how our solar system modifies the appearance of the X-ray sky
A shell-dwelling cichlid behind a snail shell

How do shell-dwelling cichlids build the perfect nest?

April 10, 2026
Behavioral Biology
The individual steps of nest-building are instinctive, but only through practice do the fish become true masters
Further News

International

Dioscuri Centres of Excellence

Two interdisciplinary Dioscuri Centres in Poland

April 21, 2026
International
The Call is directed at scientists from all scientific disciplines and all nationalities who are willing to establish a Dioscuri Centre at a Polish Host Institution
Fast telescope in China

Between cutting-edge research and responsibility

April 16, 2026
How the Max Planck Society cooperates with China
A person wearing a white lab coat gestures while seated, with a microscope and laboratory equipment visible in the background

Curiosity knows no boundaries

February 12, 2026
How Kenyan scientist Mercy Akinyi is establishing a Max Planck Humboldt Research Group in her home country
Country portals

Career

Full indoor shot of a large, dark-red robotic arm and a dark-red, dome-shaped object suspended from it, along with two people standing in the foreground. The arm is large and complex, with many dark-colored, flexible components and a dark-grey base. Steps and caution tape are visible on the floor around the base of the robotic arm. A dark-red, rounded object resembles a large head or helmet, suspended from the robotic arm, hanging over the scene. The material is smooth and appears to be some kind of composite. Two individuals are centrally positioned in front of the robotic apparatus. A man and a woman stand side-by-side, smiling, looking at the camera. Both wear casual clothing: the man wears a maroon-colored t-shirt and dark-colored pants, while the woman is wearing a teal-green sweater and dark-wash jeans. The background is mostly dark grey walls and a dark-grey floor surface. The walls appear to be made of brick-like or panelled material. The overall impression is of a technological or manufacturing environment, potentially a research lab or design studio. The image highlights a sophisticated piece of industrial machinery alongside human operators.

Innovative training programmes for Phd students

Talented German and foreign junior scientists are offered the opportunity to earn a doctorate under excellent research conditions
Graphic with AI symbol in the centre, surrounded by digital circuits. At the top right, a graduation cap in a circle.

New Max Planck School of Biomedical Artificial Intelligence

March 12, 2026
Artificial Intelligence
The new School will develop advanced AI methods for basic life sciences research. The concept was developed under the coordination of Karsten Borgwardt, Director at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry.

Job Offers

Call for Nominations: Director (f/m/d) at the Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen

Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, Tübingen
April 24, 2026

Postdoc position (m/f/d) | Time-Resolved Soft X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy of Correlated Materials

Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society, Berlin
April 21, 2026

Postdoctoral research position (m/f/d) | Macromolecular chemistry & battery research

Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg
April 20, 2026
to the JobBoard
Career

Topic Specials

The muddy hands of a person cupped together under a water tap in a muddy background.

Climate and Transformation

In addition to climate forecasts, the consequences of climate change are increasingly becoming the focus of research at Max Planck Institutes
A schematic view from above of a human brain with many coloured fibres connecting the two halves and extending out in various directions.

The brain

The human brain is the most complex organ that nature has ever produced: 100 billion nerve cells and many times more contact points give it capabilities that no supercomputer can match
Full shot of a world map, likely a graphic design or print, overlaid with numerous passport stamps of varying colors and sizes.

Migration

The causes and consequences of human mobility and its history are central topics for research at Max Planck Institutes
Further Topic Specials

Publications


Illustration of networks and two persons
Cover of the brochure Living and Working in Germany
Research is Calling! cover
Cover Max Planck Research Magazine 4/2025
Image brochure - Max Planck Society
Cover - Highlights 2024 from the Yearbook of the Max Planck Society
Annual Report 2024 cover - Max Planck Society
Evaluation cover

From the Institutes


MPI for Evolutionary Anthropology
Largest open dataset of great ape cognition more
MPI for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences
“Highways” in the Brain Help Young Children Form Plurals more
MPI for Evolutionary Biology
Multicellularity may have evolved without direct benefits more
MPI for Heart and Lung Research
Low NAD Levels Disrupt the Body’s Internal Clock During Cellular Aging more
MPI for Extraterrestrial Physics
Space telescope studies solar system X-ray glow more
MPI of Immunobiology and Epigenetics
The functions of BET proteins during gene activation more
MPI for the Study of Crime, Security and Law
Analytical method has impact on the findings more
MPI for Chemical Ecology
Insect symbioses are surprisingly fragile more
MPI for Chemistry, et al.
Fungi use “start button” for ice from bacteria more
MPI for Radio Astronomy
Radio Signals from the Edge of Extreme Stars more
MPI for Evolutionary Biology
Bold animals do not always live fast more
MPI of Biochemistry
Study reveals 2FA system that controls protein and microRNA destruction more
MPI for Chemical Ecology
Quinine biosynthesis solved more
MPI for Evolutionary Biology
Immunity shapes decisions more
MPI for Evolutionary Biology
The developmental hourglass has a cellular basis more
MPI for Biological Intelligence (Martinsried site), et al.
A familiar voice shapes how zebra finches hear and respond more
Max Planck Innovation
Batene secures €6 million for next development phase more
MPI of Molecular Plant Physiology
Friendly fungi hijack plant immune system more

Events

April 2026
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Dangerous Science, Anticipation and the Human Right to Science

Apr 22, 2026 from 05:00 PM to 07:00 PM (Local Time Germany)

Plant-based – the future? What do researchers think about meat substitutes.

Apr 29, 2026 from 06:00 PM to 08:00 PM (Local Time Germany)

Upcoming Events

Plant-based – the future? What do researchers think about meat substitutes.

Apr 29, 2026 06:00 PM - 08:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Room: Seminar room 1.009

Science Day: 17 Goals for the Future

May 31, 2026 10:30 AM - 01:30 PM (Local Time Germany)
Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Room: Hermann Staudinger Lecture Hall and Polymer Path

Tomorrow Labs: The Festival at the Science Port Magdeburg - 6 June 2026

Jun 6, 2026 04:00 PM - 09:59 PM (Local Time Germany)
Magdeburg
All Events

Multimedia


Screenshot of the picture gallery "My Science and Me"

My Science and Me

What fascinates scientists about their research? What drives them? Science thrives on the people who shape it. Our picture gallery depicts aspects of research from the perspective of those who carry it out
Two smiling women standing looking in the direction of the camera with a dark background.

Unraveling Behavior

Podcast
A science podcast about the patterns driving human judgment and decision making. In each episode,  Ana Sofia Morais sits down with a researcher to explore how people make decisions, how they handle risk, and how our surroundings and the online world shape our behavior.
A microsopic view of a fluorescent green worm on a black background.

Cell droplet research

Video
A new hope for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. A film about the research of Anthony Hyman, who was awared the Koerber Prize 2022 and the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences 2023.
A sombre grey cartoon image of four people sitting on a bench.

Flight and Trauma

Video
Traumatic experiences from fleeing war zones can lead to distressing symptoms, which impair everyday life. Now with Ukranian sub-titles.
more
Optogenetics | briefly explained

Optogenetics | briefly explained

Video
Turning nerve cells on and off using pulses of light. Optogenetics is a relatively new field that uses light to control genetically modified cells. It is based on light-activated membrane proteins, such as bacteriorhodopsin or channelrhodopsin, that are built into nerve cells.
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Social Media

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