User Group: Gesellschaft

  • Brave Conversations Stuttgart 2024

    Brave Conversations Stuttgart 2024

    When?

    May 21, 2024, 9:00–13:00 CEST

    Where?

    Room 00.150

    University of Stuttgart

    Universitätsstraße 34

    70569 Stuttgart, Vaihingen

    Germany

    Brave Conversations Stuttgart 2024 takes place within the context of a world undergoing significant social, political, and technological change:

      • 2024 is the year which seems the most number of human beings participating in ‘democratic’ elections, something that has been described as an ‘election extravaganza’. Read more.
      • Technology companies are releasing more and more powerful Large Language Models and Machine Learning systems and Intelligent Agents. Read more.
      • They are also rapidly developing and releasing new ways of interacting with technologies such as Augmented Reality. Read more.
      • Social Media companies are under increasing scrutiny by governments and regulatory authorities around online safety. Read more.
      • Progress on human longevity is becoming increasingly interesting with progress being made on the Science of Ageing. Read more.
      • It is hoped that renewable energy sources will achieve one-third of global power generation in 2024. Read more.

    Within all of these themes perhaps the most important is not the technological advances, but what the implications are for humans and the human systems within which we live. This is what Brave Conversations seeks to explore. We can’t go down every rabbit hole but we can peek into a few and see if we can draw out themes that impact each of us in our daily lives, to explore how we can retain our humanity and our agency in the Age of Smart Machines.

    We will be exploring

      • What is the definition of a human in the Age of the Smart Machine?
      • What is the role of a human in this Age of the Smart Machine?
      • How do we retain our humanity whilst harnessing the power of Smart Machines to improve life for all on Planet Earth?

    For more information please visit Brave Conversations and IRIS.

    Registration is free but mandatory and space is limited. If you would like to join, please register here.

    Organising Committee

    Sierra Kaiser – University of Stuttgart

    Anni Rowland-Campbell, Intersticia and Web Science Trust

  • Women in Science

    Women in Science

    Date

    Friday, March 22, 2024


    Time

    14:00


    Location

    Stuttgart, Heisenbergstr. 3, Copper Lecture Hall (2R04)

  • Tübingen AI Talk Series with Prof Niklas Boers

    Tübingen AI Talk Series with Prof Niklas Boers

     

    The Earth’s climate is a highly complex system and as such many processes and phenomena cannot be resolved in terms of fundamental physical equations, either because they are unknown or because they would be to costly to explicitly include in numerical simulations. While there is a long history of complementary, data-driven modelling approaches, recent developments in deep learning promise substantial advances.

    Here Prof. Boers presents some recent results on machine learning approaches to address several challenges in nonlinear Earth system dynamics, including the prediction of climate phenomena such as monsoon onsets or ENSO, hybrid modelling combining process-based with deep learning model components, as well as bias correction and downscaling of Earth system models with generative machine learning models.

     

    About Prof. Niklas Boers:

    Niklas Boers is professor of Earth system modelling at the Technical University of Munich, leads the Future Lab on Artificial Intelligence at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, and is Honorary Professor of Mathematics at the University of Exeter. He obtained his PhD from Humboldt University Berlin and spent several years at the ENS Paris and Imperial College London. As a physicist and mathematician by training, he studies theoretical climate dynamics with a combination of physical and data-driven approaches. In his research he develops methods rooted in dynamical system theory, complexity, science, and machine learning and applies them to different problems of nonlinear dynamics, with a focus on modelling and predicting extreme events and abrupt transitions in the Earth system.

     

    Date and Time: 25.01.2024 at 11 a.m. sharp
    Location: MvL6 Lecture Hall

     

    1-on-1 Meetings and Dinner:

    Niklas Boers is available for 1-on-1 meetings during the day; sign up here.
    If you're interested in joining for dinner, please indicate your preference in the same form.

     

  • Join the global forum for AI progress at AI House Davos

    Join the global forum for AI progress at AI House Davos

    • AI House Davos will bring together leaders in industry, civil society, government, the investing community, and academics to drive the global conversation on artificial intelligence.

    • Confirmed speakers include: Yann LeCun (VP of Meta), Kay Firth-Butterfield (CEO of Good Tech Advisory), Amy Webb (CEO of Future Today Institute), Arvind Krishna (CEO of IBM), Jonas Andrulis (CEO of Aleph Alpha), Theresa May (former Prime Minister of the UK), and Christian Lindner (Germany’s Finance Minister). 

    • Cyber Valley, contributor to the AI House program, invites you to its sessions. 

    Davos, Switzerland. We are pleased to announce the upcoming opening of AI House Davos during the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting from January 15-19, 2024. Registration for a packed calendar of events is now open on the AI House website.

    Understanding AI’s current and future capabilities has never been more important. AI will undoubtedly be the dominant discussion at this year’s WEF Annual Meeting, and AI House Davos will be a crucial global forum to bring the deepest discussions on AI to life, from how AI can benefit humankind to how world economies can provide a catalyst for sustainable innovation. 

    The AI House will bring together leaders across diverse sectors — from academics to industry, as well as government, and entrepreneurship — to facilitate deep discussions and collaboration geared toward safeguarding the future of artificial intelligence. The AI House is a dedicated platform with a multidisciplinary and multi-stakeholder approach working to address the challenges and opportunities facing the artificial intelligence ecosyste. This includes conversations surrounding responsible growth, scaling, and regulation. 

    Speakers at AI House include Yann LeCun (VP of Meta), Kay Firth-Butterfield (CEO of Good Tech Advisory), Amy Webb (CEO of Future Today Institute), Arvind Krishna (CEO of IBM), Jonas Andrulis (CEO of Aleph Alpha), Theresa May (former Prime Minister of the UK), Christian Lindner (Germany’s Finance Minister), and many more. Confirmed speakers can be found on the website.

     

    Cyber Valley events at AI House Davos

    AI House Davos events with Cyber Valley contributions

    Five major themes will be covered throughout the week. Monday will focus on the current state of AI. An Opening Ceremony will take place where the AI House initiators will discuss the activities planned for the week. On Tuesday, a dive into AI’s opportunities and risks will take place. Wednesday will focus on applications of AI. Thursday will look toward the next frontier. On Friday, the program will conclude with a review of the week and a look ahead to the future.

    Members of the press should join the waitlists for the specific sessions at AI House they wish to attend. Invitations are at the discretion of the session organizer. Press inquiries about AI House should be sent to steven.perlberg@merantix.com. 

    AI House is a joint initiative led by Merantix, ETH AI Center, Swisscom, UTokyo Institute for AI and Beyond, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), and G42. AI House partners and sponsors include the European Commission, European Innovation Council, European AI Forum, Automation Anywhere, EPFL, EY, TÜV AI Lab, Cyber Valley and many more. Forbes, Handelsblatt, and Devex are the media partners. 

    The AI House is perfectly positioned in the heart of the Davos promenade. Just 750 meters from the congress center, this central location ensures seamless access to all the key events in Davos. Find AI House on Promenade 68, Davos Platz.

    Faheem Ahamed, Group CMO of G42, said: “At G42, we embrace a global, inclusive approach to the future of AI. As the Initiator Partner of AI House Davos, we eagerly anticipate engaging with organizations and individuals who share our dedication to leading-edge scientific research, transformative AI applications, and effective regulation. Together, we can accelerate AI's positive impact on society and the global economy, cultivating an ecosystem that fuels innovation while steadfastly upholding ethical standards in the advancement and integration of this transformative technology.”

    Masami Hagiya, Director of UTokyo Institute for AI and Beyond, said: “As AI technologies spread, all aspects of human society are affected and need to change to build a better world. The multi-stakeholder approach of AI House is a suitable framework for discussing issues from different perspectives of human society. The panel on ‘AI Governance and Safety: G7 Hiroshima AI process’ is a typical topic involving multiple stakeholders. Also, UTokyo Institute for AI and Beyond will host ‘AI and Higher Education,’ focusing on how higher education should evolve as generative AI gradually replaces many aspects of human intelligence. ‘Harmony of Coexistence’ will touch on human intelligence and AI from various perspectives.”

    Dr. Rasmus Rothe, CTO and Co-Founder of Merantix, said: “What the AI landscape really needs now in order to thrive is a vibrant community bringing together all the different stakeholders, from investors, startups, academics, regulators, government leaders, and corporates, to discuss AI’s future, learn about AI’s current application in the real world, and create some meaningful new collaborations leveraging AI’s potential. That’s why we initiated AI House, and it’s why Davos is the perfect venue for these discussions.”

    Evan Sparks, Vice President and General Manager for AI Solutions and Supercomputing Cloud, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, said: “AI will have a transformative societal impact. As a fundamental technology, AI will solve complex scientific challenges and make breakthroughs in drug discovery, provide accurate medical diagnosis faster, predict and prevent catastrophic weather events, and advance renewable energy to help us transition to a net-zero world. However, to make AI beneficial to humanity, we must make it accessible, sustainable, and responsible, and the power of collaboration will help us get there. As co-initiators of AI House Davos, we look forward to being a part of an important initiative that will bring together stakeholders across private and public sectors to design, develop, and deliver efficient and ethical AI solutions to benefit the greater good.”

    Dr. Alexander Ilic, Founder and Executive Director of ETH AI Center, said: “In the imminent future, we anticipate many breakthroughs in AI research to catalyze significant advancements towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals – marking a new era of progress and innovation. From education to healthcare to sustainability, AI is a technology that should be accessible, trustworthy, and safe for everybody. The AI House Davos therefore serves as a central hub, fostering and expediting collaboration between global key stakeholders from academia, industry, NGOs, start-ups, and civil society, all dedicated to realizing our shared vision.”

    Laure Willemin, Executive Vice President of Data, Analytics & AI at Swisscom, said: “The AI House Davos is the start of a joint journey towards a common understanding of AI. Switzerland is the right place to host the AI pioneers from all over the world to meet, connect and shape AI. As one of the most competitive and innovative countries, with its renowned universities, Switzerland plays a leading role in AI research and AI development. Swisscom is excited to be part of this journey and committed to develop trusted AI solutions to the benefit of Switzerland.”

    More information about the AI House and its initiators, partners, and sponsors can be found here. 

    Media contact:
    Steven Perlberg
    Head of Communications at Merantix
    steven.perlberg@merantix.com 

    Media contact for Cyber Valley at AI House Davos:
    Hazel Rowland
    Cyber Valley Media Manager
    Hazel.Rowland@cyber-valley.de

  • EuroEAP 2024 comes to Stuttgart

    EuroEAP 2024 comes to Stuttgart

    What is the topic of this conference?

    The 21st century is experiencing a paradigm change from the age of passive synthetic materials to the age of stimuli-responsive and multi-functional materials. Among them, soft transducers and electromechanically active materials represent a fast growing scientific field of research and development. Soft transducers consist of soft polymeric materials, devices, or systems that react or adapt to external stimulus, such as electrical, magnetic, and mechanical forces. This leads to changes in shape, size, force, stiffness, surface texture, or even colour.

    These transducers can be used for various needs, including actuation, sensing and energy harvesting. These applications make this research field inherently and highly interdisciplinary, bridging the gap between chemistry and physics of materials, electrical and mechanical engineering, user interface science, and intelligent systems.

    These technologies will play an increasingly important role in the future, thanks to their unique combination of stimuli-responsiveness and soft structure. They are already opening numerous possibilities of application in various fields, such as soft robotics, biomedical devices, human-machine interaction, wearables, and smart textiles, to name a few. 

    What is EuroEAP?

    The EuroEAP international conference, organized by the EuroEAP Society with a not-for-profit distinctive character and always held in Europe, primarily aims to share the latest advances and findings in this emerging field. It gathers experts from all over the world in a highly multidisciplinary event driven by scientific quality and industrial impact, with an organization that enables significant opportunities for one-to-one discussions in a friendly atmosphere. Since 2011, the conference has been focused on electromechanically active polymers. Today, the event expands its scope to the larger international and diverse research community of soft smart materials and soft transducers.

    About the venue

    The goal of the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems is to investigate and understand the organizing principles of intelligent systems and the underlying perception-action-learning loop. The Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems combines – within one center – theory, software, and hardware expertise in the research field of intelligent systems. Research at the Stuttgart campus of the institute covers small-scale robotics, self-organization, haptic perception, bio-inspired systems, medical robotics, robotic materials, and physical intelligence; that is, the embodiment of intelligent behavior in physical, rather than computational, systems. 

    The program will be released closer to the conference.

  • AI House Davos: Catalyzing AI tech transfer in Europe

    AI House Davos: Catalyzing AI tech transfer in Europe

     

    It will address the facilitation of cross-sector AI innovation (like ELLIS), discussing the synergy between academia, industry, and government to accelerate tech transfer, drive economic growth, and meet societal needs with cutting-edge AI solutions.

     

    When?

    Wed, 17. January 2024, 10:30 – 10:55

     

    Format

    • Round table
    • Open to the press

     

    Speakers

    • Bernhard Schölkopf, Professor – Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems & ETH
    • Alexander Diehl, Investor & Entrepreneur
    • Rebecca C. Reisch, CEO Cyber Valley

     

    Moderator

    • Julian Enz, Chief Innovation Office, Cyber Valley


    Further information

     

  • AI House Davos: AI & Sustainability

    AI House Davos: AI & Sustainability

     

    This roundtable will explore how AI technologies are being applied to tackle critical sustainability challenges. Discussions will examine real-world AI innovations in areas such as renewable energy, resource conservation, and climate change mitigation. Emphasizing actionable solutions, we'll consider the role of AI in driving environmental progress, enhancing global sustainability efforts, and the partnerships propelling this mission forward.

     

    When?

    Wednesday, January 17 2024, 11:30-12:00 CET

     

    Where?

    Partner Room 2, AI House Davos, Promenade 68, 7270 Davos Platz

     

    Format

    • Roundtable
    • Open to the press
    • Interactive panel discussion
    • Audience Q&A

     

    Speakers

    • Christoph Kellenberger, Sustainable Architect
    • Max Gercken, CEO Optocycle
    • Dieter Gerdemann, MD & Partner Sustainability, A.T. Kearney
    • Samuel Widmann, Entrepreneur and ex-Google Maps CEO
       

    Moderators

    • Julian Enz, Director Innovation & Economy (CIO), Cyber Valley
    • Rebecca Beiter, Director Communications & Society (CCO), Cyber Valley


    Further information

    Register

     

  • AI House Davos: Frontiers of AI & ML

    AI House Davos: Frontiers of AI & ML

     

    Exploring cutting-edge developments in machine learning and AI, this discussion delves into recent research breakthroughs including related fields like computational neuroscience. Focused on advanced algorithms, neural network innovations, and deep learning techniques, we'll address challenges and future directions in AI, with insights from leading European AI researchers. Emphasis will be on scientific depth, practical applications, and ethical considerations. 

     

    When?

    Wednesday, January 17, 2024, 16:15-16:45

     

    Where?

    Partner Room 3, AI House Davos, Promenade 68, 7270 Davos Platz

     

    Format

    • Round table
    • Open to the press

     

    Speakers

    • Bernhard Schölkopf, Director of the ELLIS-Institute, Director Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems & Cyber Valley Speaker
    • Tobias Bonhoeffer, Director of the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence
    • Auguste von Bayern, Group Leader Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence
    • Evan Sparks, Vice President of AI and High Performance Computing at HPI

     

    Moderator

    • Alexander Diehl, Investor & Entrepreneur, Cyber Valley 


    Further information

    Register