Computers don't byte

Episode 7: Jan van Rijn: Robustness, unveiling the black box of AI

Published on 24 March 2026 - Created by Michiel van Poelgeest, Dimitra Kouimtzidou, Marcel Tichelaar

Assistant Professor Jan van Rijn is at the forefront of research into the trustworthiness of AI systems. His work focuses on the field of machine learning, with a particular emphasis on exploring and enhancing the robustness of AI systems. Robustness is a critical component in building trustworthy machines, such as self-driving cars, where reliable performance is paramount. 

Jan and his team are dedicated to developing techniques that make verification models for testing robustness more efficient. However, significant challenges remain. One of the primary obstacles is the sheer size of current AI systems, like ChatGPT, which are too large to be efficiently verified using existing methods.


Listen to the full episode on Spotify.