Improve artificial intelligence and make it a credible and secure source of data – this is the overarching goal of the new research centre: The Centre for Credible AI (“CCAI”), which was officially inaugurated at the Warsaw University of Technology on 7 October this year. It will be one of the few research centres in Poland specialising in AI research. The launch of the Centre was made possible thanks to funding of almost PLN 30 million from the European Funds for a Modern Economy (FENG) programme, awarded by the Foundation for Polish Science through a competition as part of the International Research Agendas (IRA) action.
Thanks to European funding, the Foundation for Polish Science has been supporting the establishment of centres of excellence in Poland for several years. The Centre for Credible AI is the first centre dedicated to AI research that will operate within the IRA.
“The use of AI is already becoming widespread and the applications are increasingly serious – for example in medicine or the defence industry. It is a huge responsibility – artificial intelligence can cost lives but also, I would strongly emphasise, it can help save those lives. Therefore, it is important that we invest not only in developing the technology, but also in developing methods to control it, so that AI is credible and safe for all of us,” says prof. Krzysztof Pyrć, President of the Foundation for Polish Science.
The new research unit was established as a response to the challenges of the “black boxes” of algorithms, whose operating logic often remains unclear even to their creators.
The Centre focuses on the development of Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI). The aim is to build AI that can be understood (through interpretability techniques), verified (through formal testing and risk assessment) and controlled (in line with social and ethical values).
“We live in an age where it is the algorithm that decides many areas of our lives. We want to make sure that it works properly and that the decisions made with it are good ones. AI is not only a risk, but first and foremost an opportunity,” says prof. Przemysław Biecek, Director of the Centre for Credible AI.
The Centre will have four research groups with a total of more than 20 scientists from Poland and abroad. The Centre will develop new methods for multi-step model explanation and validation in dynamic environments.
“One group will be investigating the operation of algorithms in social media, which very often lead to polarisation. The next two teams will focus on using explainable artificial intelligence to explore new possibilities in both physics as well as in the biological sciences. The fourth group will focus on developing new methods for interpretation and validation of AI models,” adds prof. Biecek.
The CCAI is expected to result in open tools, new standards and the education of professionals capable of designing AI systems that inspire trust and support the advancement of science, technology and society.
“We want our Centre to become the European benchmark for explainable, credible and transparent artificial intelligence within the next five years. We will make every effort to ensure that AI serves science, people and society,” says prof. Biecek.
The results of the Centre's work will be able to be applied to key areas for society, such as medicine, bioinformatics or education, where prediction alone is not enough – it is necessary to understand the decision-making processes undertaken by AI.
The Centre's strategic partner is the Fraunhofer Heinrich-Hertz-Institut (HHI) in Berlin – one of the most prestigious research centres in Europe, specialising in telecommunications, signal processing, computer vision and artificial intelligence.
International Research Agendas (MAB) is an action implemented by the Foundation for Polish Science and funded by the European Funds for a Modern Economy (FENG) programme. This action enables the launch of new (or the development of existing) centres of excellence of international importance in our country, developing cooperation with foreign scientific centres and economic partners and implementing R&D projects of significant importance for society and the economy. One project can receive funding of up to PLN 30 million.
Funds from the IRA action also provide a national contribution to the funding of projects that will be supported by the European Commission's Teaming of Excellence competition (Horizon Europe). These projects can receive funding of up to EUR 8 million (approximately PLN 37 million) from the IRA action.
Funding is awarded through a competitive process. The budget for the entire action is more than PLN 445 million. In the calls concluded so far, the Foundation for Polish Science has awarded funds to 10 projects (including three that won support from the Teaming of Excellence competition) in a total amount of over PLN 306 million.
More information about International Research Agendas (MAB):
