The Centre will be one of the first units in Poland dedicated to the research, applications, and implementation of reliable and safe artificial intelligence. The research team, led by Prof. Przemysław Biecek, will focus on achieving significant progress in the verifiability of AI systems, with particular emphasis on their safety, transparency, and controllability.

"We are witnessing tremendous advancements in AI techniques, but many of them do not function properly, are inadequately tested, and can even be harmful. The Centre is set to develop technologies for monitoring and rectifying AI-related safety issues. Here, safety is understood broadly — encompassing both resistance to malicious attacks and built-in safeguards to ensure proper AI behavior," explains Prof. Biecek, the main applicant and project leader.

The direct beneficiaries will be institutions developing AI systems and aiming to enhance their safety. Indirectly, we all will benefit from the researchers' work – as users and end recipients of AI tools.

An interfaculty team from WUT

The Centre will employ approximately 20 researchers working in four teams. Prof. Przemysław Biecek will lead the team responsible for the technical analysis of AI models, with his primary role being to ensure that the development of safe AI technology meets international standards. Additionally, Prof. Janusz Hołyst from the Faculty of Physics will head the team that analyzes AI models using techniques for complex model analysis, Prof. Katarzyna Budzyńska from the Faculty of Administration and Social Sciences will supervise the team focusing on the human aspect of AI model safety, and Prof. Dariusz Plewczyński from the Faculty of Mathematics and Information Science will lead the team working on AI models applied in the field of bioinformatics.

"The Centre is launching with four teams conducting world-class AI research but remains open to new teams eager to contribute to securing this technology. Recruitment for AI researchers will be open, and we welcome researchers from other universities to apply. The Centre has a strategic collaboration plan with leading AI research institutions in Europe—it will partner with the AI Department at Fraunhofer, Berlin, led by prof. Wojciech Samek, as well as UniPisa and CITUS. We will conduct interdisciplinary research based on both the deep mathematical foundations of AI and the societal aspects of a technology transforming the economy, with AI being one such technology” emphasizes Prof. Biecek. 

The competition procedure was highly competitive. As Prof. Biecek emphasizes, in addition to scientific excellence, FNP required a well-thought-out commercialization strategy, and the challenge lay in aligning its goals with scientific ambitions.

The funding of 30 million PLN over 5 years will primarily go towards staffing and technology implementation. The Centre is expected to open around June or July.