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Call for members.

Applications for the winter semester 2026/27 are open until 25 October.

We look for students who want to build the future of AI, whatever they study. You don't need to be an AI expert to apply.

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Important dates, winter semester 2026/27

Applications open
Application deadline23:59, Munich time
1 day left
Interviews
Onboarding weekendMandatory for new members

Who should apply

To bridge the gap between theory and practice by empowering students to build the future of AI. We combine academic rigor with a “make-it-happen” mindset to solve real-world challenges.

In scope

Passion for AI
A genuine interest in artificial intelligence and its applications.
Commitment and motivation
Willingness to invest time and energy to push the initiative forward.
Proactiveness
Taking initiative, and reacting quickly to new topics and challenges.
Clear communication
Open, honest and effective communication within the team.

Not required

Being an AI expert
Your first-semester projects match your area and level of expertise.
A computer science degree
Our members study 20+ majors.

How we work together

Action, ambition and leadership
We set goals, own outcomes and build partnerships with 180DC, CDTM, TUM Blockchain Club, TUM, UnternehmerTUM, AppliedAI, ETH Zürich and beyond.
Diversity and inclusiveness
20+ majors and 35+ nationalities, because different people decide better together.
Learn and grow
Every semester, 10 to 15 members go to Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Cambridge, Berkeley or Inria for research, exchanges and theses.
Trust and transparency
Everyone can voice an opinion, and we rely on each other's honesty.
TUM.ai members and alumni in a group photo on a meadow below the Bavarian Alps

What you'll work on

Every member starts at the onboarding weekend. From the first semester, you take one of two tracks.

Research Track

Join a team on an Impact Project applying AI to real-world challenges. Contribute to research, academic publications, or open-source work, and engage with the TUM.ai community through update sessions.

“Joining TUM.ai as part of the MIT project gave me the chance to work on exciting AI research with talented peers and mentors.”

Marco Lorenz, Robotics, Cognition and Intelligence, TUM

Initiative Track

Join one of our core departments and become a driving force behind everything that makes TUM.ai stand out. Shape the future of TUM.ai and develop your skills while engaging in trips, events, and learning opportunities.

“The recruiting platform our Recruiting Team runs every application round on started as my project. Now hundreds of applicants go through it each semester.”

Justin Lanfermann, Software Engineering, TUM, LMU, UniA

On either track, you can also join

ML discussion groups
Deep-tech sessions on machine learning papers: their implementations, the mathematics behind them and more.
AI Academy
Take part in its courses, or teach in them.
Workshops and visits
From soft skills to visits at companies like Google, Nvidia and QuantCo.
A packed lecture hall watching a team present an appliedAI challenge

The full member journey, semester by semester

How selection works

Four stages, from your application to your first weekend as a member.

  1. 01

    Application

    Until 25 October, 23:59

    Fill out the application form before the deadline.
  2. 02

    Screening

    After the deadline

    The recruiting team screens the applications.
  3. 03

    Interview

    1 to 8 November

    If you pass the screening, we invite you to an interview to get to know you better. Prepare by learning what TUM.ai stands for and by following recent developments in AI.
  4. 04

    Onboarding weekend

    13 to 15 November

    Accepted applicants join the mandatory onboarding weekend: meet the members, join the social events and get to know TUM.ai.

Since 2020

What TUM.ai's members have started, by kind and year: 23 milestones in 7 years.

  1. 2020

    • OrganizationAccredited at TUM. As an official student initiative
    • OrganizationFirst concept. At UnternehmerTUM's business plan seminar
    • OrganizationFirst application phase

  2. 2021

    • ProgramsFirst Industry Phase
    • ProgramsFirst AI Academy
    • Events and hackathonsFirst Makeathon
    • Events and hackathonsETH AI Center Summit. First participation
    • OrganizationNon-profit organization

  3. 2022

    • ProgramsFirst AI Bootcamp. With KNUST
    • ProgramsAI Entrepreneur-Lab 1.0
    • Events and hackathonsFirst startup tour. Berlin

  4. 2023

    • Events and hackathonsFirst AI.Summit. A two-day conference
    • Events and hackathonsTUM Dies Academicus. As a speaker

  5. 2024

    • ResearchImpact Projects. With 5 partners: IBM, MIT, Flower Labs, Helmholtz Munich and MI4People
    • ResearchFirst workshop papers at NeurIPS '24
    • ProgramsNew task forces. Med.ai, TUM.ai Build and TUM.ai Robotics
    • Events and hackathonsHackathon with Aleph Alpha. The first smaller hackathon

  6. 2025

    • ResearchICML and ICLR. A main-track paper at ICML and a publication at ICLR
    • Events and hackathonsEvent with OpenAI. The first after their Munich office opened, 1200+ signups
    • Events and hackathonsBiggest Makeathon yet. 500+ participants
    • Events and hackathonsSummer hackathon. With AWS, Lovable, ElevenLabs, Google, Anthropic and others

  7. 2026

    • ResearchECCV paper. From a research exchange at Harvard Medical School
    • Events and hackathonsEuropean Hackathon League. Founded by TUM.ai; the Makeathon 2026 was its first match

Frequently asked questions

Applications close on 25 October.

1 day left. The form closes at 23:59, Munich time. Interviews run from 1 to 8 November, and the onboarding weekend is 13 to 15 November.

Apply now (opens in a new tab)Questions and answers

For companies

Partners meet our members through talent packages, hackathon challenges and company visits.

Become a Partner