AI Grid

Am Mittwoch hatte AI Grid die Gelegenheit, auf Einladung von Berlin Partner gemeinsam mit Forschenden, Unternehmen und Partnern aus dem Berliner Innovationsökosystem über die Potenziale und Herausforderungen von #Robotik und Künstlicher Intelligenz (#KI) zu diskutieren. Der Austausch fand im Motion Lab statt – einem kreativen Raum, der für seinen Fokus auf Prototyping und technologische Innovation bekannt ist. Berlin ist ein führender Standort für Deep-Tech-Innovationen in Deutschland. Die Stadt vereint eine außergewöhnlich hohe Dichte an Start-ups, ein internationales Netzwerk, erstklassige Forschungseinrichtungen und hochqualifizierte Talente. Diese einzigartige Kombination macht die Hauptstadt zu einem Hotspot für zukunftsweisende Technologien. Im Zentrum der Diskussion stand die Rolle von KI in der Robotik und ihre konkreten Anwendungen in Bereichen wie Gesundheitsversorgung, Bauwesen und Fertigungsindustrie. Besonders spannend war die Frage, wie KI zur Optimierung von Prozessen beitragen kann – sei es durch präzisere Steuerung, die Reduktion von Arbeitsbelastung oder die Unterstützung menschlicher Expertise bei komplexen Aufgaben. Auch innerhalb des AI Grid-Netzwerks spielt die Robotik eine zentrale Rolle. Unsere #Mikrofokusgruppe "Behavior Learning and Control" erforscht beispielsweise, wie Roboter gezielt trainiert und in den Alltag integriert werden können, um eine kooperative und positive Mensch-Roboter-Interaktion zu ermöglichen. Wir bedanken uns herzlich bei Berlin Partner für Wirtschaft und Technologie GmbH und Philipp Günther für die Einladung und die inspirierende Möglichkeit, Wissen und Perspektiven auszutauschen. Solche Plattformen sind essenziell, um neue Ideen voranzutreiben und neue Partnerschaften im Bereich #KI und Robotik zu knüpfen. Wir freuen uns darauf, gemeinsam mit der Berliner Community die Zukunft dieser Technologien zu gestalten. Laure Poirson, Alice Bassewitz, Franziska Peters, Tiziana Maglia, Stefan Jazdzejewski, Jack Thoms, Ute Schmid, Mira Mezini, Johannes Winter

🚀 At the AI Grid Summit, I had the pleasure of moderating a compelling discussion with Anna Hilsmann, Rami Mochaourab & Fabian Buelow on the dynamic collaboration between academia and industry in AI. Together, we explored key trends, challenges + opportunities shaping this vital collaboration. The highlights: 1️⃣ Trends & Innovations: Collaborative initiatives are thriving across diverse sectors, particularly in AI-driven industries. Fields like manufacturing, automotive, life sciences, advanced robotics, semiconductors, quantum & service industries are expected to benefit the most from these collaborations in the near future. 2️⃣ Challenges in Translating AI Research: Aligning cutting-edge research with industry needs and timelines remains challeging, emphasizing the need for communication + co-created roadmaps. Plus, we need a fair balance between openness in collaboration with IP protection. 3️⃣ Collaboration Models & Data Sharing: The discussion highlighted successful examples of partnership models, such as the EXPLAIN project, where academic rigor met practical implementation through close collaboration. Strategies used by companies from truck industry, which manage the competitive nature of their field while sharing findings + data through structured agreements + trust-based partnerships, were discussed. The panel also explored the manufacturing + the health perspective, emphasizing the role of shared tools, transparent goals & industry-specific AI applications. 4️⃣ Bridging the Skills Gap: Panelists noted that academic curricula sometimes lag behind industry needs, particularly in teaching the tools and frameworks widely used in practice. Internships, joint projects & collaborative programs were highlighted as effective ways to prepare researchers for real-world applications. 5️⃣ Next Big Opportunities: Emerging areas like Generative AI and small/language models, ML/DL, advanced robotics, quantum & computer vision offer significant potential for new collaborations. The panel also emphasized the role of government & policy in facilitating partnerships through funding, regulatory frameworks + international cooperation. 🎯 Message for Young Researchers: Focus on developing skills that bridge theoretical research + practical applications. Actively pursue opportunities for internships, collaborative projects + mentorship to connect with industry. Collaboration thrives on curiosity, adaptability + mutual respect—stay open to new ideas + approaches. ▶️ Thanks to BMBF-department head Tina Kluewer + AI Grid Presidium colleagues Wolfgang Wahlster Stefan Jazdzejewski Jack Thoms for the insightful opening + Laure Poirson Alice Bassewitz Franziska Peters for organizing such a fantastic summit. ▶️L3S Research Center is a core partner of AI Grid. Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Künstliche Intelligenz (DFKI) CAIMed - Niedersächsisches Zentrum für KI und Kausale Methoden in der Medizin Credits: Stefanie Loos

💡 Last week, as part of our AI Grid Summit, we organized a coaching workshop with the female researchers of our network titled “Defying Norms. Thriving as a Woman in Academia” 🌟. 🎓 A 2-hour workshop to talk about sexism and discrimination in academia, identify sexist mechanisms, and get practical advice on building strategies to break free from limiting stereotypes that can hold back your academic career 🚀. The workshop was inspired by discussions with young female researchers and insights from a 2022 report by the Leopoldina National Academy of Sciences, which highlights persistent gender imbalances in Germany’s scientific system. Among the barriers identified: - Implicit biases hindering recruitment, recognition, and promotion, reinforced by male-dominated leadership structures. - A culture rewarding competitive self-assertion over collaboration. - An imbalance of reputation, in which women's research subjects are often less highly regarded than men's. - Heavy administrative and committee workloads placed disproportionately on women. - Unclear career pathways post-PhD, creating uncertainty and limiting long-term planning. - A lack of female role models, affecting confidence and aspirations. - Unequal family responsibilities, exacerbated by inadequate support infrastructure, limiting women’s time, energy, and mobility. Here is the full report: https://lnkd.in/ebMevQgv 💬 Our workshop provided a supportive and collaborative space for sharing experiences and building actionable solutions. 🙏 Thanks to our fantastic coach Delphine Mousseau for her expert moderation, thoughtful insights, and empowering guidance throughout the session! 💪✨ © Stefanie Loos #womeninacademia #equalopportunities #career Laure Poirson Alice Bassewitz Franziska Peters Tiziana Maglia Ute Schmid Stefan Jazdzejewski Mira Mezini Johannes Winter Jack Thoms

Our very first AI Grid Summit has just wrapped up! What a powerful gathering of minds and ideas! 😍 Over two inspiring days, young AI researchers, professors, industry experts, and network partners came together. Over 2 days we discussed the latest research in AI, debated new perspectives and ideas, questioned the challenges ahead in terms of sustainability, ethics, fairness and where AI can or should play a major role. Tina Kluewer, Head of Research for Technological Sovereignty and Innovation at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Germany and Prof. Wolfgang Wahlster, AI Grid Chaiman, officially opened the Summit, underscoring the critical role of nurturing the next generation of AI talents to strengthen Germany’s technological sovereignty. We also discussed how to accelerate the knowledge transfer through stronger collaborations between academia and industry and by empowering young researchers to launch startups. The Summit was also a great opportunity to celebrate the successes achieved over the past two years 🎉 With a network of almost 180 young researchers and an international community of committed mentors, AI Grid fosters synergies and scientific exchanges, thus accelerating AI research. With gratitude, we recognized two of our mentors, Prof. Peer Stelldinger and Prof. Dr. Elif Bilge Kavun for their invaluable support to students and researchers. And there are many more great projects and collaborations to come. One of them was officially announced through a partnership with the Artificial Intelligence Center Hamburg (ARIC), marking a step toward creating a collaborative AI ecosystem and deepening ties with research and industry. Thank you Alois Krtil for your visit and your engagement. The two days were filled with dynamic discussions and inspiring ideas, setting the stage for exciting future collaborations. And with these inspiring words, the event drew to a close: "Let’s take what we’ve learned here and turn it into impactful research and actions". We would like to extend our warmest thanks to all the participants, and especially to our outstanding speakers: Catherine Pelachaud Elisabeth André Marcus Liwicki Theresa Zueger Delphine Mousseau Rami Mochaourab Anna Hilsmann Fabian Buelow Johannes Winter Dr. Katharina Eissing Tobias Szarowicz Stefan Jazdzejewski Prof. Dr. Bastian Halecker Thanks to Forum Digitale Technologien and Patricia Fechteler for their wonderful hosting 😊 Photo credit:  Stefanie L. #Research #Network #Community #nextgenAI Laure Poirson Alice Bassewitz Franziska Peters Tiziana Maglia Ute Schmid Mira Mezini Jack Thoms

AI Grid Summit 2024 💯 🥳 🧠 🎉🫶🎈 Next week, we’ll gather in Berlin for a milestone moment – the first-ever AI Grid Summit exclusively for our community! Looking back on #two years of ideas, projects and growth, it’s inspiring to see how much our community has achieved. We’re thrilled to start with opening remarks from Dr. Tina Kluewer (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung), followed by Prof. Wolfgang Wahlster (Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Künstliche Intelligenz (DFKI)), who’ll set the tone for two packed days of fresh insights and new connections. The program is a journey into the heart of today’s AI research: Prof. Elisabeth André will tackle responsible AI, while Prof. Catherine Pelachaud explores the dynamic between humans and machines. And then, it’s the community’s turn – young #researchers will showcase their latest projects in our poster and demo sessions, offering a glimpse into the future of #AI. The second day, action continues! We’ll share the outcomes of the AI Grid #Hackathon, followed by a powerful panel on bridging academia and industry, with thought leaders guiding the discussion. In thematic groups, we'll dive into essential topics like AI #ethics, #fairness, and #sustainability, intensifying the conversations that will drive our community forward. This Summit is very special to us – it’s a chance to connect, learn, and celebrate how far we’ve come. We can’t wait to see what the next chapter holds for AI Grid! Laure Poirson, Franziska Peters, Alice Bassewitz, Tiziana Maglia, Stefan Jazdzejewski, Jack Thoms, Ute Schmid, Mira Mezini, Johannes Winter

🔊 Job Opportunity in AI Grid Wir suchen einen/e Projektmanager:in, um unser Netzwerk junger KI-Talenten auzubauen und die KI-Forschung gezielt zu fördern! Klingt das spannend für dich? Dann freuen wir uns auf deine Bewerbung! 😊 #Job #AI #Community #Research

Wir sind auf der Berlin Science Week! 🎉 Heute bis 18 Uhr könnt ihr uns im Museum für Naturkunde Berlin besuchen. Nutzt die Gelegenheit, unsere Forschenden kennenzulernen und spannende Einblicke in die Welt der #KI zu gewinnen! 🔍✨ Unsere KI-Expert:innen am Stand: Mengisti Berihu Girmay (Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Universität Kaiserslautern-Landau (RPTU)) – sie entwickelt KI-Lösungen, die den landwirtschaftlichen Alltag vereinfachen und für mehr Transparenz sorgen. Hailay Kidu (L3S Research Center, Hannover) – sein Ziel: den digitalen Zugang für Tigrigna-Sprecher:innen zu verbessern und Sprachbarrieren zu überwinden. Vivek Chavan (Fraunhofer IPK, Berlin) – er entwickelt energieeffiziente Machine-Learning-Methoden, die kontinuierlich aus neuen Daten lernen. ➡️ Falls ihr heute nicht vorbeischauen könnt: Wir sind auch morgen von 10 bis 19 Uhr für euch da – gleich neben dem imposanten T-Rex Tristan Otto. Wir freuen uns auf euren Besuch! Laure Poirson, Franziska Peters, Alice Bassewitz, Tiziana Maglia, Stefan Jazdzejewski, Jack Thoms, Ute Schmid, Mira Mezini, Johannes Winter

AI Grid at Berlin Science Week 2024 – Experience the future of AI up close! On November 1st and 2nd, 2024, we’ll be at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin with our booth, and we warmly invite everyone interested to join us. Meet the brains at our stand - discover the people driving AI innovation: 🚜 Mengisti Berihu Girmay (Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Universität Kaiserslautern-Landau (RPTU)) is dedicated to making AI in agriculture more transparent and accessible. Her work focuses on building trust among farmers by creating user-friendly, practical AI solutions that are sustainable for real-world application. 🌍 Hailay Kidu (L3S Research Center, Hannover) develops technologies to improve access to digital information for Tigrigna speakers. His research breaks down language barriers and promotes cultural exchange by making Tigrigna more accessible in the digital space. 💡 Vivek Chavan (Fraunhofer IPK, Berlin) focuses on energy-efficient machine learning methods that continuously learn from new data without constant retraining. His project “RECIL” combines precision with energy efficiency, offering sustainable solutions for industry applications. 🚀 Stop by and experience the future of AI! Connect with our researchers, explore AI Grid, and give your career a boost. Apply now at www.ai-grid.org and become part of this dynamic community! Laure Poirson, Franziska Peters, Alice Bassewitz, Tiziana Maglia, Stefan Jazdzejewski, Jack Thoms, Ute Schmid, Mira Mezini, Johannes Winter

🌟 Reflecting on an Inspiring AI Journey from London to Oxford 🌟 Over the past days, I had the incredible opportunity to be part of the AI Grid Science & Innovation Tour (#SIT). Our journey took us from the LISA (London Initiative for Safe AI) and Imperial College to the serene academic landscape of Oxford visiting the Big Data Institute (BDI), and I couldn’t be more grateful for the experience. And yes, I might have fallen in love with Oxford along the way! I was inspired by global experts focused on AI safety and ethics, emphasizing responsibility in AI development. Furthermore, we saw how to tackle real-world healthcare challenges with AI. This tour has left me inspired and excited for the future! 🚀 #AIInHealthcare #SafeAI #InnovationTour #PhDLife #OxfordLove

Last Friday's visit to Imperial College London gave us a deeper insight into how AI, robotics and digital chemistry are shaping real-world solutions. The day started with Prof. Sophia Yaliraki, who explained how the work at I-X and White City is helping to bridge research and innovation. During the tour of the Internet of Things and Robotics Labs, Prof. Hamed Haddadi, Dr. Dandan Zhang and Dr. Sen Wang showed us projects that combine technology with everyday challenges, from human-centred systems to medical robotics. Later, we learned about #AIchemy, where Prof. Sophia Yaliraki and Chris Mellor showed how AI is helping to accelerate and streamline complex chemical research. This was followed by a shift to the topic of AI safety, where Prof. Alessandra Russo and Dr. Eleonora Giunchiglia led a discussion on why ensuring the safety and reliability of AI systems is crucial as they become more integrated into our lives. After lunch with I-X PhD students, we attended the AI SuperConnector session with Hiten Thakrar, MBA, where researchers explored opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration. Later, Immanuel Sebastine gave an insight into the #MedTechOne project, showing how bioengineering and AI are advancing healthcare solutions. Special thanks to everyone at Imperial College London, I-X Labs and I-HUB for hosting us and providing such a detailed insight into their work. Laure Poirson, Franziska Peters, Alice Bassewitz, Tiziana Maglia, Stefan Jazdzejewski, Jack Thoms, Ute Schmid, Mira Mezini, Johannes Winter