AI Pioneers is a free AI talent program that provides curious minds and engaged thinkers with relevant knowledge, networking opportunities, and career options.
Our mission:
Empowering the next generation of leaders to successfully drive innovation in the era of AI
In each session…
What is "hot and new" in AI
A quick dive into the latest breakthroughs, trends, and applications in AI, highlighting what's shaping the field right now.
Homework Discussion
A look back at the previous assignment, what participants explored, the insights they uncovered, and the challenges they faced along the way.
Topic Introduction and Hands-on Demo
An interactive session that introduces the day's focus topic, followed by a guided demo to put concepts into practice.
Guest Lecture
Each session welcomes an expert guest speaker who brings valuable perspectives, from academic research to real-world applications, offering background knowledge, practical insights, and technical expertise.
Testimonials
"The course gets you thinking deeply about applications in your own area of work - by the time you're done, you already have ideas you're ready to implement once AI rolls out company-wide."
"I'd recommend this course without hesitation. You get weekly updates on the latest in AI, practical tips and tricks, and a dedicated time block to engage with AI beyond your day-to-day tasks."
"It's not just about using AI to work more efficiently - it's about making the impact measurable and visible in terms of business success."
Guided program and independent learning
AI Pioneers offers you a 20-week learning experience, with a 90-minute virtual session every 2 weeks. Sessions combine insights from international experts and close mentoring regarding self-study assignments. The program is free of charge!
AI Experts from around the globe
Learn from renowned international AI scholars and practitioners, while meeting ambitious, tech-savvy, and like-minded participants.
Certificate upon completion
Upon completion, a certificate will be issued to you with an outline of what you have learned. Signed and ready to be shared with your network and friends.
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Session Schedule - Cohort 5
01
Session
Kick-Off
09.11.2026, 17:00 CET
02
Session
Fundamentals
23.11.2026, 17:00 CET
03
Session
AI Agents
07.12.2026, 17:00 CET
04
Session
Advanced Fundamentals
21.12.2026, 17:00 CET
05
Session
Business Impact
11.01.2027, 17:00 CET
06
Session
AI in Action
25.01.2027, 17:00 CET
07
Session
AI in Finance
08.02.2027, 17:00 CET
08
Session
AI Ethics
22.02.2027, 17:00 CET
09
Session
AI and Strategy
08.03.2027, 17:00 CET
10
Session
Pitches and Celebration
22.03.2027, 17:00 CET
Coming soon
AI Pioneers – Supervisory Board Edition
AI is changing how companies compete, operate, and manage risk. That puts it squarely on the agenda of supervisory boards. We are planning a special edition of AI Pioneers, tailored to supervisory board members.
What's new in AI, curated for board-level decisions
Hands-on demos with the tools shaping business today
AI through the governance lens: strategy, oversight, risk and opportunity
Exchange with international AI experts and fellow board members
The edition builds on four cohorts of AI Pioneers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and on our ongoing research on AI and supervisory board governance.
Interested in future cohorts? Sign up for our newsletter to stay up-to-date!
Cohort 5 will start on November 9. Join our newsletter to be the first to hear about program updates, application details, and other opportunities with AI Pioneers.
Isabell M. Welpe holds the Chair for Strategy and Organization at the Technical University of Munich, Germany. Her research interests are in digital transformation of companies, business model innovation, the impact of digital technologies on the economy and organizations and the future of leadership and work/organizational design.
PD Dr. Theresa Treffers
Core Team
TUM
Theresa Treffers is an expert in individual and team behavior in entrepreneurship and innovation, as well as in artificial intelligence at work and in leadership. She holds dual roles as a Research Group Leader at the Technical University of Munich and as an Associate Professor at Seeburg Castle University.
Simon Hochstraßer (MSc)
Core Team
TUM
Simon Hochstraßer is a research associate and PhD candidate at TUM, where he manages the chair's finances, brings together partners from politics, business, and academia at conferences and roundtables, and co-leads an AI program for senior (banking) professionals. He also teaches seminars on personal finance. His research examines how retail investors make financial decisions and how much they trust AI. Simon has a background in banking, having trained as a Bankkaufmann at HypoVereinsbank, and holds an M.Sc. in Management & Technology from TUM, with semesters abroad at NUS Singapore and ISEG Lisbon.
Nathalie Schenk is a PhD candidate at the Technical University of Munich, holds an MSc in Information Systems from TUM, and researches at the intersection of (Gen)AI and entrepreneurship. With her experience in consulting, she has worked on digital transformations across various industries.
Lisa Maria-Schober is a PhD candidate at the Technical University of Munich. Her research focuses on the human dimensions of AI, particularly its adoption, effective use, and its impact on workplace dynamics. She holds degrees in Business Administration and Information Systems Management from the University of Bamberg and gained international experience through several academic stays abroad. Alongside her academic work, she brings extensive experience in strategy consulting on tech topics across various industries.
Paul Kaiser
Core Team
TUM
Paul Kaiser is a Master's student in Information Systems at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). He completed his Bachelor's degree in Information Systems at the University of Mannheim, where he wrote his thesis on the creative potential of AI-AI collaboration. Currently, Paul serves as the Head of Community at TUM.ai, Germany's leading student initiative for artificial intelligence, where he drives engagement and fosters collaboration across the AI ecosystem.
Milena Serbinova
Core Team
TUM
Milena Serbinova is a Master's student in Informatics at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), where she also completed her Bachelor's degree. Her research sits at the intersection of large language models and software engineering, focusing on software testing and LLM-driven client-facing applications. She has gained international experience through academic stays at the University of Exeter (UK) and DTU in Copenhagen, and brings practical experience in generative AI transformation and automation from consulting on large-scale enterprise projects.
David Meyer
Core Team
TUM
David Meyer is a PhD student at the Chair for Strategy and Organization at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and part of the Management Team at the Center for Digital Technology and Management (CDTM), where he teaches Managing Product Development (MPD). His first project, How Capability and Well-being Shape AI-Driven Productivity, is a longitudinal field study of a generative AI assistant deployed in retail banking. He holds a BSc and MSc in Computer Science from ETH Zurich and a BSc in International Management from WHU. Before academia, he spent nearly two years at BCG Switzerland and conducted speech-processing research with Disney Research|Studios Zurich, producing an Interspeech 2024 paper and a pending patent.
Project Showcase
Built by AI Pioneers
Discover real projects created by past participants — and submit your own.
