# Niki van Stein

> Niki van Stein is an Associate Professor in explainable AI for machine learning and optimisation at LIACS, Leiden University, and leads the XAI group there.

Niki van Stein (Associate Professor, Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science (LIACS), Leiden University) works on explainable artificial intelligence, automated algorithm design, large language models, evolutionary computation, black-box optimisation, bayesian optimisation, benchmarking of optimisation algorithms, predictive maintenance. The group's mission and members are on the XAI group page; every publication has its own page with authors, venue, abstract and links.

## Research themes

- [Explainable optimisation](https://www.nikivanstein.nl/publications/): Why does an optimiser behave the way it does? Structural bias, explainable benchmarking and landscape features. (BIAS, Deep-BIAS, DoE2Vec)
- [Automated algorithm design](https://www.nikivanstein.nl/projects/llamea): Large language models that write, evolve and explain optimisation algorithms. (LLaMEA, LLaMEA-BO, BLADE)
- [XAI in the real world](https://www.nikivanstein.nl/xai-group/#projects): Predictive maintenance, anomaly detection and engineering design with industry partners. (XAIPre, CIMPLO, GenAIDE, FIND)

## Main pages

- [Homepage](https://www.nikivanstein.nl/): profile, research themes, recent talks and selected papers
- [XAI group](https://www.nikivanstein.nl/xai-group/): mission, people and research projects of the XAI group at LIACS
- [Publications](https://www.nikivanstein.nl/publications/): all publications, newest first
- [Talks](https://www.nikivanstein.nl/talks/): keynotes, invited talks and conference presentations
- [Teaching](https://www.nikivanstein.nl/teaching/): courses at Leiden University
- [Blog](https://www.nikivanstein.nl/year-archive/): posts about recent papers, software and events

## Selected publications

- [LLaMEA-BO: A Large Language Model Evolutionary Algorithm for Automatically Generating Bayesian Optimization Algorithms](https://www.nikivanstein.nl/publication/2026-07-10-LLaMEA-BO-A-Large-Language-Model-Evolutionary-Algorithm-for-Automatically-Generating-Bayesian-Optimization-Algorithms): Wenhu Li, Niki van Stein, Thomas Bäck, Elena Raponi. Proceedings of the Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference, 2026.
- [From Performance to Understanding: A Vision for Explainable Automated Algorithm Design](https://www.nikivanstein.nl/publication/2026-04-29-From-Performance-to-Understanding-A-Vision-for-Explainable-Automated-Algorithm-Design): Niki van Stein, Anna V. Kononova, Thomas Bäck. International Conference on the Applications of Evolutionary Computation (Part of EvoStar), 2026.
- [LLaMEA-SAGE: Guiding Automated Algorithm Design with Structural Feedback from Explainable AI](https://www.nikivanstein.nl/publication/2026-01-29-LLaMEA-SAGE-Guiding-Automated-Algorithm-Design-with-Structural-Feedback-from-Explainable-AI): Niki van Stein, Anna V. Kononova, Lars Kotthoff, Thomas Bäck. arXiv preprint arXiv:2601.21511, 2026.
- [BLADE: Benchmark suite for LLM-driven Automated Design and Evolution of iterative optimisation heuristics](https://www.nikivanstein.nl/publication/2025-07-14-BLADE-Benchmark-suite-for-LLM-driven-Automated-Design-and-Evolution-of-iterative-optimisation-heuristics): Niki van Stein, Anna V. Kononova, Haoran Yin, Thomas Bäck. Proceedings of the Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference Companion, 2025.
- [Explainable benchmarking for iterative optimization heuristics](https://www.nikivanstein.nl/publication/2025-02-11-Explainable-benchmarking-for-iterative-optimization-heuristics): Niki van Stein, Diederick Vermetten, Anna Kononova, Thomas Bäck. ACM Transactions on Evolutionary Learning, 2025.
- [Llamea: A large language model evolutionary algorithm for automatically generating metaheuristics](https://www.nikivanstein.nl/publication/2024-11-13-Llamea-A-large-language-model-evolutionary-algorithm-for-automatically-generating-metaheuristics): Niki van Stein, Thomas Bäck. IEEE Transactions on Evolutionary Computation, 2024.
- [Evolutionary computation and explainable AI: A roadmap to understandable intelligent systems](https://www.nikivanstein.nl/publication/2024-10-23-Evolutionary-computation-and-explainable-AI-A-roadmap-to-understandable-intelligent-systems): Ryan Zhou, Jaume Bacardit, Alexander Edward Ian Brownlee, Stefano Cagnoni, Martin Fyvie, Giovanni Iacca, John McCall, Niki van Stein, David Walker, Ting Hu. IEEE Transactions on Evolutionary Computation, 2024.
- [Explainable artificial intelligence for exhaust gas temperature of turbofan engines](https://www.nikivanstein.nl/publication/2022-06-01-Explainable-artificial-intelligence-for-exhaust-gas-temperature-of-turbofan-engines): Marios Kefalas, Juan de Santiago Rojo, Asteris Apostolidis, Dirk van den Herik, Niki van Stein, Thomas Bäck. Journal of Aerospace Information Systems, 2022.

## Projects

- [GenAIDE](https://www.nikivanstein.nl/projects/genaide): Exploring disruptive AI technologies and evolving computer-aided engineering. (2026)
- [FIND](https://www.nikivanstein.nl/projects/find): Large AI models for a resilient high-tech industry. (2026)
- [AI4optics](https://www.nikivanstein.nl/projects/ai4optics): AI-based simulation, design and reconstruction for illumination and imaging optics. (2026)
- [LLaMEA](https://www.nikivanstein.nl/projects/llamea): Large Language Evolutionary Algorithm for the automatic design of algorithms. (2024)
- [AI for Oversight](https://www.nikivanstein.nl/projects/ai4oversight): AI for Oversight ICAI lab (2023)
- [XAIPre](https://www.nikivanstein.nl/projects/xaipre): eXplainable AI for Predictive Maintenance (2022)
- [Complex Lens Design](https://www.nikivanstein.nl/projects/lens-design): Optimization of Complex Lens Designs (2022)
- [CIMPLO](https://www.nikivanstein.nl/projects/cimplo): Cross-Industry Predictive Maintenance Optimization Platform (2018)

## Profiles

- [ORCID](https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0013-7969)
- [Google Scholar](https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=DST6voAAAAAJ&hl=nl)
- [DBLP](https://dblp.org/pid/169/3047)
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q130906085)
- [Leiden University staff page](https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/staffmembers/niki-van-stein#tab-1)
- [GitHub](https://github.com/nikivanstein)

## Optional

- [Full publication list with abstracts](https://www.nikivanstein.nl/llms-full.txt)