Bernhard Schölkopf receives honorary doctorate
Bernhard Schölkopf is one of Europe’s leading AI researchers and professor of computer science at ETH Zürich. Schölkopf is the scientific director of the ELLIS Institute and Max Planck Institute in Tübingen, Germany, and is among the founding members of the ELLIS (European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems) network. Schölkopf has helped strengthen Aalto University’s position within both the European and Finnish AI research ecosystems through his support of the establishment of ELLIS Institute Finland.
Bernhard Schölkopf has a front-row seat to the disruption that artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are causing, in both science and society, and knows the stakes are high, not just in terms of energy consumption and computing resources, but also potential job losses. Recognising what AI can do, how it does it, as well as its limitations, are important skills for navigating an AI-saturated future, he says. "I use AI tools myself, however I do so with caution," says Schölkopf. "There are impressive possibilities that come with these tools, and we are only beginning to understand them, and understanding is crucial."
Schölkopf’s long history in machine learning research has ranged from the mathematical underpinnings of kernel methods that are used for pattern analysis, to the problems that causality creates for machines trying to understand what is behind correlations observed in the world. He has also been involved in notable scientific discoveries. "We built a causal model for exoplanet light curves and discovered a range of exoplanets, one of which subsequently became the first habitable-zone exoplanet where water was detected."
Top talent is the key to competitiveness
Throughout, Schölkopf believes high-quality teams have contributed to research success. "Ultimately, the single most important factor is top talent at all levels: undergraduates, PhD students, postdocs, and faculty," says Schölkopf. Bringing these experts to Europe is one of the purposes of ELLIS. "Making Europe competitive in AI happens by creating jobs that will attract leading researchers, which is exactly what ELLIS Institute Finland is successfully doing."
"Aalto and the broader research community in Finland have impressive strength in AI, and I have long cherished the interaction with Finnish colleagues," Schölkopf continues.
As for the next AI breakthrough, Schölkopf thinks it will be combining the huge sets of passive observations that current models are trained on with real-world interaction and insight into causality. AI that understands the rules of cause and effect in the world, could, he thinks, help us humans understand something about ourselves in the process.
This story appears in Aalto University Magazine issue 38, out in print in September 2026.
Related events:
→ Bernhard Schölkopf will give a public talk on June 11 at Marsio, and is receiving the honorary doctorate at Aalto University on June 12.
