Max Planck Schools Day 2025

The Max Planck Schools Day on October 9th once again brought together members of the three renowned Max Planck Schools—Photonics, Matter to Life, and Cognition—and created a sense of community among the young scientists of the Max Planck Society.

Science in the age of AI

Around 167 participants, including approximately 123 doctoral students, gathered for this year's Max Planck Schools Day: a day that combined scientific exchange, interactive formats, and sustainable event management. This year's theme was:
“Science in the Age of AI – Transformation, Responsibility, and Opportunity”.

The focus was on discussions about the influence of artificial intelligence on research, science, and society. The event featured a panel discussion with high-profile experts, followed by two interactive workshops on the topics of “Regulation of AI and the Role of Governments” and “The Role of AI in Research”.

Markus Leipe, a doctoral student at the Max Planck School of Photonics, also demonstrated how complex and topical these issues are, contributing the perspective of young researchers:

“The vast majority of us early career scientists are already using AI as a tool to get research done - for now, mostly outside the lab. The progress is staggering; this year alone, the top LLMs evolved from generators of obvious miscalculations and confident nonsensical hallucinations to quite competent all-purposee tools, which you can use to learn, brainstorm, prototype, discuss and refine your ideas and output. They are not perfect, but good enough and every month brings new tools, models and improvements. But AI is quickly becoming more than just a tool, and is even starting to help in actual experiments. What does this mean for us and our future careers, and how do we have to change how we approach our jobs? Everyone is still struggling with that, and discussion like here are only the beginning of this process. I definitely can’t predict how we will be using AI when we meet for the next Max Planck School Day”.

From scientific excellence to creative energy

In addition to the panel discussion, the fellows of the Max Planck Schools also presented themselves in an inspiring Passion for Science Lecture, and three doctoral students presented their research as part of the Science Talks. Daniele Ronchetti from the Max Planck School of Photonics made a particularly strong impression, thrilling the audience with his presentation on X-ray diffraction experiments and demonstrating how basic research and applied technology work together.

Networking, Discussing, Shaping

The Max Planck Schools Day is not only a platform for knowledge transfer, but above all a place for exchange. Researchers from various disciplines came together to network, discuss new ideas, and initiate potential collaborations. The event was organized jointly by the deans of the three Max Planck Schools, the central coordination team, and the PhD organization team.

A musical finale with the Photonics Band

To round off the event, the Photonics Band, made up of talented MPSP students, created a lively atmosphere. With a varied mix of classics and modern songs, they transformed the scientific day into a musical evening full of energy.

The Max Planck Schools Day 2025 impressively demonstrated that excellence in research extends far beyond the laboratory. Whether in the exploration of future topics such as AI, in open dialogue between disciplines, or in making music together: science thrives on encounter, responsibility, and curiosity.