Ulrich Furbach
Ulrich Furbach is an AI researcher whose work spans automated reasoning, knowledge management and deep question answering. After earning a PhD at the University of the Bundeswehr Munich and a diploma and habilitation in informatics at the Technical University of Munich, he directed TUM's Automated Reasoning Group from 1987 to 1990 and became a professor in Koblenz in 1990. He chaired the German Informatics Society's AI section in 1997–2001 and 2006–2010 and became a GI Fellow in 2011. His RatioLog project applied automated deduction to deep question answering, while later projects studied cognitive reasoning and applied AI to dance education. As of October 2026, he is a retired Professor of Artificial Intelligence at the University of Koblenz, an Adjunct Professor at Vellore Institute of Technology in India, and a co-owner of wizAI solutions GmbH.
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Timeline
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1987–1990
Automated Reasoning at TUM
He directs the Automated Reasoning Group at the Technical University of Munich from 1987 to 1990. In 1990, he joins the University of Koblenz as a professor after earning a PhD at the University of the Bundeswehr Munich and a diploma and habilitation in informatics at the Technical University of Munich.
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1997–2010
Chairing the GI AI section
He chairs the German Informatics Society's AI section from 1997 to 2001 and from 2006 to 2010.
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2000–2003
The Institute for Knowledge Media
In Koblenz, he directs the Institute for Knowledge Media from 2000 to 2003.
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2011
A GI Fellowship
In 2011, the German Informatics Society names him a GI Fellow at INFORMATIK in Berlin.
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2015
RatioLog for question answering
In 2015, he coauthors the RatioLog project, which combines information retrieval and machine learning to identify answer candidates, then tests them with automated theorem proving. Its authors explore defeasible and normative reasoning for cases with incomplete or inconsistent knowledge.
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2018–2022
Cognitive Reasoning at Koblenz
His DFG Cognitive Reasoning (CoRg) project runs from March 2018 to February 2022. It addresses everyday problems marked by uncertainty and ambiguity and explores cognitive computing systems that model human reasoning.
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2021–2024
AI for dance education
He serves as PI within wizAI solutions GmbH for #vortanz, a BMBF project that runs from 2021 to 2024 and integrates AI and machine learning into university dance education.
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As of October 2026
Adjunct professor and wizAI co-owner
As of October 2026, he is a retired Professor of Artificial Intelligence at the University of Koblenz and an Adjunct Professor at Vellore Institute of Technology in India. He is also a co-owner of wizAI solutions GmbH.
Career
- NowVellore Institute of Technology UniversityAdjunct Professor
- 2021–2024wizAI solutions GmbHPrincipal Investigator
- 2000–2003Institute for Knowledge MediaDirector
- From 1990Universität KoblenzProfessor of Artificial Intelligence
- 1987–1990Technical University of MunichDirector
Education
- University of the Bundeswehr MunichPhD
- Technical University of MunichDiploma; Habilitation in Informatics
Colleagues
Sources and credits
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