How AI Can Become More Understandable and Reliable – and the Benefits It Brings to Everyday Life and Work

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly shaping how people work, make decisions, and interact with one another. Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is strategically expanding its research in this field: In spring 2026, Professor Maximilian Förster was appointed Junior Professor for Digital Platforms and Services. His research focuses on how AI can be designed to be comprehensible, reliable, and to deliver tangible benefits to society and the economy.

Förster heads the research group “Information Systems IV – Digital Platforms & Services” at the Institute of Information Systems at KIT. His work centers on the question of how people can use AI responsibly. To this end, he studies topics such as explainable AI, which makes its decisions understandable, as well as AI systems that explicitly communicate uncertainties and support users in decision-making.

Strengthening Trust in AI and Assessing Its Risks

“AI is being used in an ever-growing number of applications. This makes it all the more important for people to understand how these systems work and where their limitations lie,” says Förster. “My goal is to develop systems that are transparent and that provide reliable support in both professional and everyday contexts.” His research aims to help prevent poor decisions, strengthen trust in AI, and promote digital participation, explains Förster, who previously conducted research at Ulm University.

The professorship is jointly supported by KIT Division II – Informatics, Economics, and Society, the Institute of Information Systems, and the Karlsruhe Digital Service Research & Innovation Hub (KSRI). The KSRI brings together research and industry partners directly on campus, enabling joint ideas to be translated into solutions for business and society. IBM Germany, a founding partner of the KSRI, supports the professorship and thereby continues its long-standing and successful collaboration with KIT.

mex, July 2, 2026

Photo:
At the welcome event for Professor Maximilian Förster as Junior Professor of “Information Systems IV – Digital Platforms & Services” at KIT, partners from academia and practice came together. The exchange reflects the close connection between research and application in the field of artificial intelligence. From left: Dr. Carsten Holtmann (IBM Germany, KSRI), Professor Alexander Mädche (Institute of Information Systems, KIT), Professor Maximilian Förster, Professor Bernhard Beckert (KIT Division II), and Professor Stefan Nickel (KSRI).