AI experts in Poland | AI in business #122

Startuppers

Innovation in the field of AI experts in Poland would not be possible without bold entrepreneurs capable of turning theoretical concepts into groundbreaking business solutions. On the Polish AI scene, it is worth following the ventures of Piotr Sankowski or Artur Kurasinski.

Piotr Sankowski is the president of the NCBR IDEAS research center and the founder of MiM Solutions, a company that develops AI solutions. Interestingly, Sankowski combines business activities with academic work at the University of Warsaw, exemplifying the synergy between the academic and business communities. His activities are worth following to understand how Polish AI is developing from both the business and strictly scientific sides.

Artur Kurasiński is an entrepreneur, speaker, author of games and comics, and most recently, a free introductory course on working with Midjourney (https://blog.kurasinski.com/2023/06/darmowy_kurs_midjourney_grafika_ai/). Kurasinski has spent two decades observing technological and social trends, then explaining and popularizing them in an accessible way. He is a frequent speaker at the country’s top technology conferences, sharing his insights. He is also the co-founder of initiatives such as the Aula Polska series of meetings for entrepreneurs and the Aulery competition, which supports the development of startups.

Researchers

Polish researchers deal with artificial intelligence both from the side of creating technological solutions, as well as working on the role of AI in society and developing the ethical aspects of its development.

There are quite a few achievements to the credit of Alexandra Przegalińska – philosopher, researcher of new technologies and author of books “Artificial Intelligence. Inhuman, Arch-human” (Znak, Krakow 2020) or “Collaborative Society” (MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 2020). Przegalińska popularizes knowledge about AI through the Campus AI initiative and in the media – both Polish and international. Her broad expertise includes the topics of sustainable technologies, artificial intelligence and wearable technologies.

The ethical aspects of AI development, on the other hand, are the domain of Dota Szymborska – a scientist who wrote her doctoral thesis on autonomous vehicles. Szymborska offers heavy reflections on the dilemmas posed by the increasing use of intelligent systems, forcing the audience to think about their possible consequences. She translates her thoughts not only into scientific publications but also into blog posts and popular science articles.

The technological authority of the Polish AI community is Alexander Mądry – a mathematician and computer scientist currently working on the OpenAI team. Mądry is a recipient of the prestigious Presburger Award for outstanding achievements in theoretical computer science. His work includes numerous scientific articles published in the most prestigious journals. Previously, Wise was a professor at the renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he directed the Center for Machine Learning.

Source: DALL·E 3, prompt: Marta M. Kania (https://www.linkedin.com/in/martamatyldakania/)

Popularizers and AI experts in Poland

The development of artificial intelligence largely depends not only on scientific successes but also on general awareness and the degree of its social acceptance. Inspiring material on artificial intelligence is published, among others, by Karol Stryja, who has been active in the podcast market for years, deservedly earning the name of the godfather of Polish broadcasts of this type. He hosts the 99 Shades of AI podcast(https://www.99twarzyai.pl/category/podcast/), in which he talks to people involved in the development of artificial intelligence.

He also runs his own recording studio, The Podcast Makers, and is a co-founder of the international #VoiceLunch movement of conversational artificial intelligence professionals. In 2020, Stryja published Cathy Pearl’s acclaimed book “Designing Voice Interfaces” in Poland. – a textbook written by one of the key people responsible for creating Google’s voice assistant. The Voicebot.ai portal honored him as a Leader in Conversational AI Technology.

Jowita Michalska – founder of the Digital University and ambassador of the Singularity Group in Silicon Valley – took a slightly different path. Her organization cooperates with such prestigious universities as MIT, Harvard Business School and Stanford University, offering educational programs on new technologies to Poles. Michalska is also involved in social initiatives, such as educating marginalized people in the areas of Internet security and ecology.

Lawyers

When implementing solutions based on artificial intelligence, the issue of compliance with current legislation and possible formal and legal consequences is inherent. In this area, Polish AI can count on the support of specialized experts:

• Klaudia Maciejewska has multiple professions – she is a lawyer, data protection officer, court mediator, as well as a product manager and head of Currente Research and Development Center. Her main specialty, however, is new technology law, particularly the development and implementation of ISO standards in the field of artificial intelligence. A key challenge in this field remains understanding both the technological nuances of AI and the complex social, economic and ethical aspects associated with the technology,
• A similar area of expertise is represented by Michal Nowakowski – a legal advisor specializing in the implementation of artificial intelligence systems, including machine learning, deep learning and LLM. For more than 12 years, Nowakowski has been advising major financial and telecommunications institutions, as well as retail and industrial companies, on risk management and legal aspects of implementing new technologies. His work includes numerous academic publications in the field of AI and its regulation,
• An expert in intellectual property protection of projects based on artificial intelligence is Alexandra Maciejewicz – a patent attorney and specialist in copyright and patent management. She advises scientists, startups and representatives of the creative industries, helping them to adapt their business models to legal requirements. Maciejewicz is also the co-author of the first e-book in Poland on the legal aspects of Generative Artificial Intelligence (https://lawmore.pl/ebook/).

Source: DALL·E 3, prompt: Marta M. Kania (https://www.linkedin.com/in/martamatyldakania/)

AI artists

Artificial intelligence is not only revolutionizing business and science, it is also having a significant impact on art and creative activities. Among the artists exploring the impact of AI on reality is David Sypniewski, a lecturer at SWPS University, where he teaches courses on social robotics, creative coding or artificial intelligence in art and creative activities. He is also involved in the HumanTech Center and helps organize the HumanTech Summit along with its accompanying Hackathon. In 2023, Sypniewski opened the Open Science Lab at the Faculty of Design at SWPS University.

Pioneering experiments in combining art and AI are conducted by Agnieszka Pilat – an artist who lives and works in the United States. Pilat’s most famous projects are the robots Basia and Bunny, which paint pictures according to her concepts. These futuristic installations create abstract compositions on bright backgrounds. Pilat is also a resident at Boston Dynamics, one of the world’s most innovative technology companies.

Source: DALL·E 3, prompt: Marta M. Kania (https://www.linkedin.com/in/martamatyldakania/)

AI experts – Summary

Key figures associated with the country’s AI scene present different but complementary perspectives on this groundbreaking technology. Polish researchers are gaining international recognition for their pioneering work and innovative concepts. Local startups are boldly turning theories into innovative solutions and products. Lawyers are ensuring that AI applications comply with regulations and standards, and popularizers are bringing these complex issues to the public and increasing public acceptance. Artists, meanwhile, have the opportunity to explore new creative possibilities opened up by AI.

The above overview is only the beginning of a long list of names that could be mentioned in response to the question of who’s who in Polish AI. However, it is worth taking a closer look at the activities of these individuals and observing those who are contributing to the development of this industry in our country.

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