Scientific Director Bernhard Schölkopf Joins UN Global AI Panel

The world of Artificial Intelligence is racing ahead, and the need for independent, global oversight has never been clearer. Bernhard Schölkopf, Scientific Director of the ELLIS Institute Tübingen and a pioneering figure in machine learning, has been appointed to the United Nation's newly established International AI Scientific Panel, representing Germany and contributing to the global dialogue on AI Governance

Bernhard, co-founder of the Max-Planck-Institute for Intelligent Systems in Tübingen and the ELLIS Network, brings world-class expertise to the 40-member expert group chosen from over 2,600 applicants. His foundational work on structure recognition in large massive datasets has profoundly shaped the global AI discourse.

This panel is the first of its kind: a global body dedicated to providing evidence-based, unbiased assessments on AI's opportunities and risks. It is a critical step forward in governing AI across borders and jurisdictions, focusing on global science over national interests.

Furthermore, the Panel will serve as an essential "early-warning system" and "evidence engine" ensuring that global policies on AI are grounded in facts, not fear. It will prioritize vital topics like AI safety, open source models, and the ethical implications, including transparency, accountability, and the protection of human rights.

As UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated, this Panel will provide the missing element: "rigorous, independent scientific insight that enables all Member States, regardless of their technological capacity, to engage on an equal footing.”

The Panel’s mandate will include producing annual reports that synthesize scientific evidence on the opportunities, risks, and impacts of AI, and preparing thematic briefs on priority issues. Its work will inform the United Nations Global Dialogue on AI Governance. The first annual report is expected to be presented in Geneva at the Global Dialogue on AI Governance in July 2026.

Bernhard’s involvement is a major recognition of the deep AI expertise within the ELLIS ecosystem, placing science made in Tübingen and the ELLIS Institute at the forefront of shaping the global future of responsible AI.

Find out more about Bernhard Schölkopf’s research.

Find out more about the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI.

Read UN Secretary-general António Guterres statement.