Ian Scheffler
Surbhi Goel, Magerman Term Assistant Professor in Computer and Information Science (CIS) at Penn Engineering, has been named a 2025 Schmidt Sciences AI2050 Early Career Fellow.
Together, the 2025 cohort, comprising 21 early career fellows and seven senior fellows, will receive more than $18 million in funding to pursue research that explores AI’s potential to create a healthier, more resilient and more secure world.
“AI is underhyped, especially when it comes to its potential to benefit humanity,” says Eric Schmidt, who is the co-founder of Schmidt Sciences together with his wife Wendy. “The AI2050 fellowship was established to turn that potential into reality.”
Goel’s research tackles the ‘trust deficit’ in modern artificial intelligence. While AI is powerful, the ‘black-box’ nature of many AI systems can lead to unpredictable and harmful errors. Goel’s work uses a theoretically grounded approach to understand why these systems fail and to develop the mathematical foundations for verifiably reliable and robust AI.”
“I am deeply honored to be named a 2025 AI2050 Fellow by Schmidt Sciences,” says Goel. “My research aims to build a solid theoretical foundation for why modern AI systems work, and more importantly, why they fail. I am grateful for Schmidt Sciences’ support in this critical mission to build AI that is reliable, predictable and safe by design.”
In addition to receiving three years of financial support, AI2050 Fellows also participate in an annual gathering to share findings and collaborate across disciplines, building a global network of researchers dedicated to advancing AI for societal good.
“This award reflects Surbhi’s exceptional ability to develop deep insights on some of AI’s most profound, practical questions,” says Zachary Ives, Adani President’s Distinguished Professor and Chair of CIS. “Her work is helping to shape a future in which AI systems are not only powerful, but also principled and trustworthy.”