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About

We are TUM.ai

As a leading student initiative focused on AI, we bring together a diverse group of over 100 active members, each with technical skills and cultural backgrounds. Our community consists of passionate AI enthusiasts who are determined to make an impact on the AI landscape worldwide. The journey towards shaping the future of AI is open to everyone – including you!

Mission and Vision

Our long-term vision and mission are the key components that drive us forward without losing our direction.

Vision | Foster the next generation of AI talent.

Mission | TUM.ai connects students and all relevant stakeholders to facilitate the application of AI across domains and drive positive social impact through interdisciplinary projects.

Our Milestones

2020

• Official Accrediation as a Student Initiative at TUM

• Development of a first concept for the initiative at the BusinessPlan-Seminar at UnternehmerTUM

• First Application Phase

2021

• TUM.ai officially a non-profit organization

• Launch of the first TUM.ai Makeathon

• Launch of the first Industry Phase

• Launch of the first AI Academy

• First Participation in ETH AI Center Summit

2022

• First Start-Up tour in Berlin

• First AI Bootcamp in collaboration with KNUST

• Launch of the AI Entrepreneur-Lab 1.0

2023

• Launch of the AI.Summit (2-day conference)

• Speaker at the TUM Dies Academicus

2024

• Launch of the Impact Projects with 10 cooperation partners (MIT, Unite, MI4People, Allianz, IBM Research, Flower)

• First paper publications at NeurIPS '24

• Launch of new Taskforces (Med.ai, TUM.ai Build, TUM.ai Robotics)

2025

• First Smaller-sized Hackathon with Aleph Alpha

• Launch of TUM.ai Expansion Berlin

Our values

Our Values

Sharing the same values across all members is vital for an organization to succeed, and this is the secret to how we have grown extremely fast since 2019. No matter what we do, we uphold the following values.

Action, Ambition and, Leadership

We prioritize setting goals and advancing in all our activities, constantly aiming for excellence. Our commitment to outcomes drives us to take responsibility, even in collaborative settings. We proactively build partnerships with key organizations like 180DC, CDTM, and TUM Blockchain Club, extending our network across TUM, UnternehmerTUM, AppliedAI, ETH Zürich, and beyond.

Diversity and Inclusiveness

Our club consists of students from 20+ majors and 35+ nationalities worldwide. We recognize and embrace the power of collaborative teams of unique individuals, which help us foster better decision-making and stimulate new ideas.

Learn and Grow

We're committed to ongoing learning and staying current with AI advancements. Embracing our diversity, we collaborate to deepen our understanding and maximize AI's potential across all domains. Therefore, we send 10-15 people per semester to institutions such as MIT, Harvard, Standford, and Berkeley to do research, exchange semesters, and their bachelor's/ master's thesis.

Trust and Transparency

We enable everyone to voice their opinions and invite open communication. We aim to support one another and work in harmony together as a whole to reach our goals. As a community, we respect and trust one another, knowing we can rely on each other's honesty. Offer students practical experience through projects with peers from the group.

Member Journey

How our community works

The member journey at TUM.ai spans across semesters, each lasting 6 whole months. When you join the TUM.ai community, here's what you can expect:

1. Initial Onboarding:

Dive right into an onboarding weekend where you'll get acquainted with your batch, familiarize yourself with the internal TUM.ai frameworks, hone your ideation skills, and discover various opportunities TUM.ai offers.

2. Research or Initiative Track: Choose Your Path at TUM.ai

In your first semester, you can choose either the Research Track or the Initiative Track - two distinct ways to leave your mark at TUM.ai.

• Research Track: You'll join a dedicated team working on an Impact Project, aligned with your skill set. These projects are designed to contribute to the broader research community, with the goal of achieving tangible outcomes such as publications.

• Initiative Track: Join one of our core departments and become a driving force behind everything that makes TUM.ai stand out. In this track, you'll dive into exciting projects, collaborate with motivated peers, and help shape the future of our community. Whether it's launching new ideas, strengthening our network, or making the day-to-day magic happen - you'll be at the heart of it all, growing your skills while making TUM.ai better for everyone.

Regardless of your track, your first semester is not just about completing tasks. You'll have the chance to engage deeply with our vibrant community, develop new skills, and participate in learning opportunities, trips, and special events. Find out more about the Tracks and your journey at TUM.ai: www.tum-ai.com/members.

3. Growth Opportunities:

After your first semester, your journey at TUM.ai doesn't end with your initial project. You'll have the opportunity to further shape the initiative by founding a strategic task force, joining a department or task force that's new to you or continuing in your current department, potentially taking on a Team Lead role.

4. Research Exchange:

Now, we can send you off into research at prestigious institutions such as MIT, Harvard, or Berkeley. Through our network of alumni, we will not only help you find the right topic but also support you with the bureaucracy.

5. Alumni Program:

Once you've been with us for two semesters, you're eligible to join the TUM.ai Alumni Program, marking an important milestone in your journey and opening up further opportunities for collaboration and networking.

Project work

Depending on your expertise and capabilities, we aim for you to gain the proficiency needed to oversee a machine learning project from its inception to completion, whether in a research or industrial context. This is an opportunity to leverage your existing skills while cultivating new ones. You'll work on everything from communication and tech skills to teamwork and time management here.

Organizational work

In just 4.5 years, TUM.ai has experienced exponential growth, primarily fuelled by our dedicated members' brilliant ideas and ventures. We envision TUM.ai as a playground for your innovative ideas. Whether connecting with high schools and giving AI lessons there, organizing hackathons and summits, trips, participating in RnD projects, or collaborating with other initiatives, TUM.ai is about turning your visions into reality. Your dedication and drive are what make TUM.ai truly special.

Education offerings

There's so much happening at TUM.ai that sometimes it's hard to keep up! Our aim is to help you grow, both personally and in your knowledge. Here's just a glimpse of what we offer: ML Discussion Groups: Deep-tech sessions around Machine Learning, where we focus on specific papers, discuss implementations, mathematical background, and much more! AI Academy: Contribute to our AI Academy or partake in its offerings. Exclusive Workshops: From soft skills development to visits to industry giants like Google, Nvidia, and QuantCo, we offer a diverse range of workshops tailored to your interests. If you ever feel like something's missing, together with the TUM.ai family, you can make it happen.

Member Stories

Please feel free to slide through our multiple different member stories to get to know current and former members of TUM.ai:

Louisa Kron, Finance and Informationtechnology, TUM

I joined TUM.ai in the Winter Semester 2024/2025 because I wanted to step out of my comfort zone and meet new, interesting people who are working on the concrete application of artificial intelligence. I believe that this technology is one of the most groundbreaking of our time, and that’s why I wanted to be part of it. Through TUM.ai, I can pursue my interest in artificial intelligence even as a non-technical member. The interdisciplinary exchange between people from various fields allows me to learn a lot and engage in discussions on a wide range of topics—from medicine to finance. What connects us all is a certain spirit that enables us to bring exciting projects to life, such as the Impact Projects. What fascinates me most about TUM.ai is the people—everyone can contribute their own ideas, which creates a unique and inspiring movement. Moreover, TUM.ai offers the opportunity to explore different interests, such as start-ups or robotics, through dedicated task forces. I encourage everyone to engage in interdisciplinary exchange—no matter your background, your contribution is valuable. We can all learn from each other’s perspectives, experiences, and ideas.

Marco Lorenz, Robotics,Cognition and Intelligence, TUM

I joined TUM.ai in the Fall 2024/25 batch as part of the MIT project, where I had the opportunity to conduct cutting-edge AI research alongside equally skilled and curious peers, guided by mentors from both TUM and MIT. Together, we designed, prototyped, and implemented a novel approach to support material scientists in discovering new inorganic materials. We then benchmarked our solution against state-of-the-art systems—one of which I implemented myself. Finally, we summarized our findings in a paper, which was successfully accepted! Next, I traveled to a GenAI Hackathon in Paris with two fellow TUM.ai members—by far my most memorable hackathon experience, even though we only secured a very close second place. Shortly after, I joined the recruiting team, gaining hands-on experience in shaping and evolving this exceptional TUM.ai community. We gathered extensive feedback, optimized processes, organized events, and designed the screening and interview procedures. I especially enjoy meeting our diverse applicants during in-person interviews. Overall, my journey with TUM.ai has been defined by countless inspiring individuals—some of whom became close friends, while others introduced me to opportunities I had never imagined. Whether it’s conducting research at top universities like Harvard, Cambridge, or MIT, pursuing a PhD, or even joining Y Combinator, these experiences have motivated me to actively pursue my own goals and ambitions.

Xabier Irizar, Robotics,Cognition and Intelligence, TUM

I joined TUM.ai in 2022 as one of the Industry Department's team leads. Together with my team, we organized 2 industry phases and drastically increased income for the initiative to 6 figures, on top of increasing the number of available projects to the TUM.ai community by over 300%. Being a team lead at TUM.ai allowed me to gain first-hand leadership experience and have the creative freedom to direct a department of 10+ people. As a team lead you get to shape the project of your department and learn how to coordinate efforts to accomplish your goals. Moreover, you gain an insight into the management team and can directly shape the initiative. Shortly after joining, I met a few members who were going to top US universities like Harvard, MIT, and Stanford. This motivated me to pursue these same ambitions myself and do research at Harvard. TUM.ai helped me immensely in expanding my horizons of what is possible to do during university. Overall, TUM.ai has been an amazing experience to connect with like-minded individuals. I have met incredibly inspiring friends who are on track to shape the AI landscape, from startup cofounders to super-smart AI researchers. It is hard to find a place that attracts so many talented people. TUM.ai is an enabler, and if you are willing to put in the effort and mingle within the community, the opportunities are truly limitless.

Maria Aysina, Computational Linguistics, LMU

I joined TUM.ai as a member of the Marketing team. At the time, I didn’t have much experience in this area, but I was eager to learn. Within one semester, I gained hands-on skills in designing graphics, managing social media channels, and co-organizing events. It was a fast-paced and collaborative environment where I learned a lot from my teammates. After just one semester, I was offered the chance to lead the Marketing department. In this role, I took on more responsibility—planning campaigns, coordinating the team, and ensuring our communication stayed consistent and creative. It was a big step that helped me grow both personally and professionally. I learned how to balance creative work with strategy, and how important it is to keep a team motivated and aligned. Along the way, I met incredible people who not only became very good friends but also helped me build a strong professional network. Being part of TUM.ai made me realize how much you can achieve when you step out of your comfort zone and take on new challenges. It sparked my passion for working at the intersection of creativity, communication, and technology.

Simon Huang, Computer Science,

TUM

I joined TUM.ai as a member of the software development team, and within just one semester, I had the privilege of leading a team of seven. Transitioning into a leadership role, I quickly realized that my responsibility went beyond just managing projects—it was about fostering an environment where every team member could grow and learn. Together, we worked on building our internal member management and recruiting platform, a project that not only streamlined our operations but also became a catalyst for personal and professional development. The challenges of motivating a team and balancing technical tasks with essential soft skills taught me the true value of collaboration and empathy. Along the way, I made lasting friendships with colleagues who inspired me to venture out of my comfort zone, pursue internships, and explore the dynamic world of startups. TUM.ai has shown me that with ambition and a willingness to tackle one challenge at a time, incredible growth is possible—not just in projects, but in the people who drive them.

Louisa Kron, Finance and Informationtechnology, TUM

I joined TUM.ai in the Winter Semester 2024/2025 because I wanted to step out of my comfort zone and meet new, interesting people who are working on the concrete application of artificial intelligence. I believe that this technology is one of the most groundbreaking of our time, and that’s why I wanted to be part of it. Through TUM.ai, I can pursue my interest in artificial intelligence even as a non-technical member. The interdisciplinary exchange between people from various fields allows me to learn a lot and engage in discussions on a wide range of topics—from medicine to finance. What connects us all is a certain spirit that enables us to bring exciting projects to life, such as the Impact Projects. What fascinates me most about TUM.ai is the people—everyone can contribute their own ideas, which creates a unique and inspiring movement. Moreover, TUM.ai offers the opportunity to explore different interests, such as start-ups or robotics, through dedicated task forces. I encourage everyone to engage in interdisciplinary exchange—no matter your background, your contribution is valuable. We can all learn from each other’s perspectives, experiences, and ideas.

Marco Lorenz, Robotics,Cognition and Intelligence, TUM

I joined TUM.ai in the Fall 2024/25 batch as part of the MIT project, where I had the opportunity to conduct cutting-edge AI research alongside equally skilled and curious peers, guided by mentors from both TUM and MIT. Together, we designed, prototyped, and implemented a novel approach to support material scientists in discovering new inorganic materials. We then benchmarked our solution against state-of-the-art systems—one of which I implemented myself. Finally, we summarized our findings in a paper, which was successfully accepted! Next, I traveled to a GenAI Hackathon in Paris with two fellow TUM.ai members—by far my most memorable hackathon experience, even though we only secured a very close second place. Shortly after, I joined the recruiting team, gaining hands-on experience in shaping and evolving this exceptional TUM.ai community. We gathered extensive feedback, optimized processes, organized events, and designed the screening and interview procedures. I especially enjoy meeting our diverse applicants during in-person interviews. Overall, my journey with TUM.ai has been defined by countless inspiring individuals—some of whom became close friends, while others introduced me to opportunities I had never imagined. Whether it’s conducting research at top universities like Harvard, Cambridge, or MIT, pursuing a PhD, or even joining Y Combinator, these experiences have motivated me to actively pursue my own goals and ambitions.

Xabier Irizar, Robotics,Cognition and Intelligence, TUM

I joined TUM.ai in 2022 as one of the Industry Department's team leads. Together with my team, we organized 2 industry phases and drastically increased income for the initiative to 6 figures, on top of increasing the number of available projects to the TUM.ai community by over 300%. Being a team lead at TUM.ai allowed me to gain first-hand leadership experience and have the creative freedom to direct a department of 10+ people. As a team lead you get to shape the project of your department and learn how to coordinate efforts to accomplish your goals. Moreover, you gain an insight into the management team and can directly shape the initiative. Shortly after joining, I met a few members who were going to top US universities like Harvard, MIT, and Stanford. This motivated me to pursue these same ambitions myself and do research at Harvard. TUM.ai helped me immensely in expanding my horizons of what is possible to do during university. Overall, TUM.ai has been an amazing experience to connect with like-minded individuals. I have met incredibly inspiring friends who are on track to shape the AI landscape, from startup cofounders to super-smart AI researchers. It is hard to find a place that attracts so many talented people. TUM.ai is an enabler, and if you are willing to put in the effort and mingle within the community, the opportunities are truly limitless.

Maria Aysina, Computational Linguistics, LMU

I joined TUM.ai as a member of the Marketing team. At the time, I didn’t have much experience in this area, but I was eager to learn. Within one semester, I gained hands-on skills in designing graphics, managing social media channels, and co-organizing events. It was a fast-paced and collaborative environment where I learned a lot from my teammates. After just one semester, I was offered the chance to lead the Marketing department. In this role, I took on more responsibility—planning campaigns, coordinating the team, and ensuring our communication stayed consistent and creative. It was a big step that helped me grow both personally and professionally. I learned how to balance creative work with strategy, and how important it is to keep a team motivated and aligned. Along the way, I met incredible people who not only became very good friends but also helped me build a strong professional network. Being part of TUM.ai made me realize how much you can achieve when you step out of your comfort zone and take on new challenges. It sparked my passion for working at the intersection of creativity, communication, and technology.

Simon Huang, Computer Science,

TUM

I joined TUM.ai as a member of the software development team, and within just one semester, I had the privilege of leading a team of seven. Transitioning into a leadership role, I quickly realized that my responsibility went beyond just managing projects—it was about fostering an environment where every team member could grow and learn. Together, we worked on building our internal member management and recruiting platform, a project that not only streamlined our operations but also became a catalyst for personal and professional development. The challenges of motivating a team and balancing technical tasks with essential soft skills taught me the true value of collaboration and empathy. Along the way, I made lasting friendships with colleagues who inspired me to venture out of my comfort zone, pursue internships, and explore the dynamic world of startups. TUM.ai has shown me that with ambition and a willingness to tackle one challenge at a time, incredible growth is possible—not just in projects, but in the people who drive them.

Louisa Kron, Finance and Informationtechnology, TUM

I joined TUM.ai in the Winter Semester 2024/2025 because I wanted to step out of my comfort zone and meet new, interesting people who are working on the concrete application of artificial intelligence. I believe that this technology is one of the most groundbreaking of our time, and that’s why I wanted to be part of it. Through TUM.ai, I can pursue my interest in artificial intelligence even as a non-technical member. The interdisciplinary exchange between people from various fields allows me to learn a lot and engage in discussions on a wide range of topics—from medicine to finance. What connects us all is a certain spirit that enables us to bring exciting projects to life, such as the Impact Projects. What fascinates me most about TUM.ai is the people—everyone can contribute their own ideas, which creates a unique and inspiring movement. Moreover, TUM.ai offers the opportunity to explore different interests, such as start-ups or robotics, through dedicated task forces. I encourage everyone to engage in interdisciplinary exchange—no matter your background, your contribution is valuable. We can all learn from each other’s perspectives, experiences, and ideas.

Marco Lorenz, Robotics,Cognition and Intelligence, TUM

I joined TUM.ai in the Fall 2024/25 batch as part of the MIT project, where I had the opportunity to conduct cutting-edge AI research alongside equally skilled and curious peers, guided by mentors from both TUM and MIT. Together, we designed, prototyped, and implemented a novel approach to support material scientists in discovering new inorganic materials. We then benchmarked our solution against state-of-the-art systems—one of which I implemented myself. Finally, we summarized our findings in a paper, which was successfully accepted! Next, I traveled to a GenAI Hackathon in Paris with two fellow TUM.ai members—by far my most memorable hackathon experience, even though we only secured a very close second place. Shortly after, I joined the recruiting team, gaining hands-on experience in shaping and evolving this exceptional TUM.ai community. We gathered extensive feedback, optimized processes, organized events, and designed the screening and interview procedures. I especially enjoy meeting our diverse applicants during in-person interviews. Overall, my journey with TUM.ai has been defined by countless inspiring individuals—some of whom became close friends, while others introduced me to opportunities I had never imagined. Whether it’s conducting research at top universities like Harvard, Cambridge, or MIT, pursuing a PhD, or even joining Y Combinator, these experiences have motivated me to actively pursue my own goals and ambitions.

Requirements

Is TUM.ai the right choice for me?

There is no secret to TUM.ai’s fast-paced growth. Every semester, we have recruited amazing members who drive the initiative forward. If you can identify with the following qualities, you are the one that we are looking for!

🔥 Passion for AI

💪🏽 Committed and motivated to push our initiative forward

⚡️ To be available and react on topics within a short timeframe

🙌 Pro-activeness instead of reactiveness

💬 Clear communication

Q&A

Do you have any questions?

As the largest student organization in Germany focused on AI, you can expect numerous exciting speakers, big-name companies, and excellent opportunities to meet like-minded international students.

Do I need to be an AI expert to join TUM.ai?

How does the application timeline look like?

How should I prepare myself for the interview?

Contact us if you have more questions?

Disclaimer

Apply now and join TUM.ai

Together, we shape the AI ecosystem by making AI accessible to everyone in the future. We are excited to have you on board.

Apply now