How AI affects our lives: Interdisciplinary exchange

"When it comes to artificial intelligence (AI) the world is changing. The developments are gaining momentum in a new evolutionary stage and the technologies will play a role in all sectors." Minister of State, Markus Blume, sums it up: AI will only become tangible when it has a direct practical relevance for the individual. And ChatGPT is a popular example, which shows the everyday relevance of AI.

DLD Managing Director Steffi Czerny, Lorenz Kupfer from Microsoft and Michael Klimke, Managing Director of the Bavarian AI Agency issued a joint invitation to the Burda Bar in Munich on Friday to explore in more depth what artificial intelligence means for our everyday lives and how AI will affect different areas. The networking event, held under the motto "AI for us", was the first of a new series of events launched by the Bavarian AI agency.

Participants included Burda CEO Martin Wiess, Burda Executive Board Member Marc Al-Hames as well as numerous newly appointed AI professors, part of the Bavarian state government's high-tech agenda, as well as representatives from science and industry, founders, and investors.

The foundation is an interdisciplinary exchange

The goal of the event was to bring together the leading minds of those working on the topic of AI across industry and universities. "Times are changing. You are the drivers of this change and if one does not know, who the people responsible are, then nothing will happen," explained Steffi Czerny before she handed over to Martin Weiss, who also highlighted the importance of an ongoing dialogue between science and industry.

Martin Weiss explains: "Companies in Europe, and our society as a whole, have catching up to do when it comes to innovation. In order to change the world for the better, we must take advantage of the new opportunities that exist today and are evolving at breakneck speed. We can only do this together - and everyone present today has a potent contribution to make."

The joint exchange allows Michael Klimke to look positively to the future: "The people who are developing AI, researching it and thinking about its trustworthiness and how it can be used effectively in all different areas of life, give confidence. I look forward to what we can achieve together."

The social implications of AI

A technical "deep dive" in the form of Ted talks followed the introductory remarks from Steffi Czerny, Michael Klimke and Martin Weiss. AI experts and professors provided insights into the different aspects of AI development.

The topics discussed ranged from the challenges and successes of AI, presented by Gitta Kutyniok, Professor of Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics at Ludwig Maximilians University (LMU), to the industrial perspective, presented by Sydne-Aline Strasser, EMEA Data and AI Specialist at Microsoft Germany, and Thomas Langkabel, National Technology Officer at Microsoft Germany. Ethical aspects relating to AI were covered, and explained by Christoph Lütge, Director of the Institute for Ethics in AI at the Technical University of Munich (TUM).

Marc Al-Hames shared a positive view in his presentation and asked the question, why are machines expected to be honest and reliable when we (humans) also lie. Therefore, trust is important: "When anyone can generate any fact and anything can be true or false, we need support as a society. We need media brands, we need people, and we need institutions, who can assign these facts accordingly. And this can also re-invigorate society."

This was just the beginning

Steffi Czerny and Michael Klimke opened the floor to a discussion with these fresh ideas, new information and food for thought. Around 70 participants joined the lively discussion and shared their opinions. Further exchange continued and discussions were held in the networking event which followed. What AI will really mean for everyone in the future, remains to be seen. The event showed quite clearly, how large this field is. Thankfully, this is just the beginning, and the interdisciplinary exchange can be continued in-depth.

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