Karlsruhe under the sign of AI and digitalization
Cover photo: ARMAR-6 assistant robot in the TRIANGEL Open Space I Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
KIT Science Week meets InnovationFestival @karlsruhe.digital
Robots that help with assembly, assistance systems that help diagnose illnesses or self-driving cars: learning systems are becoming more and more a part of our lives. This is why the first KIT Science Week, entitled “Humans at the Center of Learning Systems”, is focusing on artificial intelligence. The new event format of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) offers extraordinary insights into the most diverse facets of research from October 5 to 10, 2021. It will be flanked by the InnovationFestival of the karlsruhe.digital initiative, at which companies and institutions from business, science, culture and administration will present their groundbreaking innovations in the field of digitalization in 10-minute keynote speeches.
Program contents: KIT Science Week and InnovationFestival @karlsruhe.digital
Impulse lecture, TEDx talk, panel discussion, citizen dialog or guided tour – during the KIT Science Week, science and culture enthusiasts can immerse themselves in the thematic range of learning systems with a wide variety of program formats. Together, science, politics, business and urban society will discuss the opportunities and risks of artificial intelligence (AI) and how it can be used for the benefit of society. As a combination of scientific congress and events for the public, the KIT Science Week is aimed at both scientific experts and interested citizens.
At the KIT Science Week, we are combining for the first time a scientific conference attended by top researchers from all over the world with participation-oriented and interactive event formats for citizens,” says Professor Thomas Hirth, Vice President for Innovation and International Affairs at KIT. KIT and its cooperation partners are thus deliberately breaking new ground – in the transfer of knowledge and technology, but also in the dialog between science and society.
“I am also very pleased that the InnovationFestival accompanies our KIT Science Week. This shows our extremely good cooperation with companies and institutions in Karlsruhe,” says Professor Thomas Hirth (KIT).
“Karlsruhe’s first place as a digital and networked city in the Germany-wide Bitkom Smart City Index 2020 as well as the award as the city with Europe’s smartest cultural tourism show that Karlsruhe is at the forefront,” says Karlsruhe’s First Mayor Gabriele Luczak-Schwarz and Chairwoman of the karlsruhe.digital initiative. At the InnovationFestival, projects such as the Smart East city district, the autonomous EVA shuttles and the AI-controlled Garoma catering platform impressively illustrate how technologies are being used in Karlsruhe and the region to improve coexistence and the quality of life in urban society.
“The topics of digitalization, artificial intelligence and innovation are a perfect fit for KIT Science Week, which is precisely why I was enthusiastic about the idea of linking the two event formats from the very beginning,” continued First Mayor Gabriele Luczak-Schwarz.
The top innovations from Karlsruhe
Following its successful premiere in fall 2020 with over 2,000 spectators from 16 countries, the InnovationFestival @karlsruhe.digital once again offers the best digital innovations from Karlsruhe and the Karlsruhe TechnologyRegion a big stage. The event format of the karlsruhe.digital initiative makes the diversity of digitalization topics visible and tangible for everyone and will take place parallel to KIT Science Week on 8 October 2021 from 1 pm. In addition to the keynote speech by flying cab pioneer Volocopter, companies and institutions from business, science and administration will present their digital transformation projects in 10-minute keynote speeches. The free, hybrid format enables both (limited) participation in the media theater of the ZKM I Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe and live streaming.
“Making digitalization in Karlsruhe clear and tangible for everyone – that is the aim of the InnovationFestival. We are delighted with the numerous submissions from areas such as artificial intelligence, IT security and mobility, which reflect the wide-ranging expertise of the IT region in the exchange between science, culture, administration and business,” says Martin Hubschneider, initiator of the InnovationFestival and one of the chairmen of the karlsruhe.digital initiative.
With more than 4,400 IT companies in the region, Hubschneider sees Karlsruhe as the engine of digitalization for a sustainable society and as an extremely attractive location for skilled workers and start-ups in the digital sector – the InnovationFestival is also intended to highlight this nationwide.
People at the center of learning systems
In addition to the events for interested members of the public, researchers will be discussing the development of trustworthy, comprehensible, adaptable and human-inspired AI technologies at a scientific congress. Artificial intelligence is a pioneering technology with a wide range of potential applications for science and society.
“Despite enormous progress, there are major challenges to overcome in order to achieve more flexibility, adaptability, robustness and explainability in human-centered AI technologies,” says Professor Tamim Asfour from the Institute of Anthropomatics and Robotics at KIT.
“This is why new approaches are needed that go beyond the current state of research.”
The aim of the congress and KIT Science Week 2021 is to put people back at the center of learning systems by stimulating a discourse on the development of trustworthy, comprehensible, adaptable and human-inspired AI technologies.