Plattform Lernende Systeme – having the courage and business ideas to lead the way in AI technology
When it comes to artificial intelligence (AI) Germany has very good prospects on the international stage. If it can quickly turn its well-established head start in research into applications focusing on practical uses, Germany can take the lead in the AI race. This was the message that Plattform Lernende Systeme, Germany’s platform for artificial intelligence, delivered at this year’s CEBIT. From 11 to 15 June, representatives from the specialist network sat on numerous panels to discuss technological innovations, AI-supported business models and the ethical and legal repercussions of self-learning systems.
“We need to find the German way – we need to do what we do well”, said Frank Riemensperger, Chairman of Accenture and a member of the Steering Committee of Plattform Lernende Systeme. That means, he explained, building AI into successful products, developing intelligent services from the data thus captured and giving a performance promise that trains the spotlight on how self-learning systems benefit people.
“We must not hide behind the USA and China when it comes to artificial intelligence. Much of the pioneering work done on AI has come from Germany,” said Wolfgang Wahlster, CEO and Scientific Director of the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI). He called for Germany to focus on its strengths in the international race for technology leadership. These strengths, he said, include combining AI with Industry 4.0, B2B applications, collaborative robotics, team robotics and voice technologies. “We will be leading the way if we can inject AI into our export successes and thus further expand our innovation leadership in Germany’s foremost sectors,” declared the Steering Committee member from Plattform Lernende Systeme.
To really thrive, “Made in Germany” applications need an innovation-friendly legal system, collaboration between science, industry and start-ups and more pioneering spirit. However, besides courage, AI innovations also need talent. When it comes to Germany’s chances in the competition surrounding AI, the general message from the platform’s panel was that smart minds need to be encouraged and kept in Germany. The panel also pointed out that stringent data protection and security requirements could be an international unique selling proposition for self-learning systems from Germany. However, the platform participants and members of the various panels all agreed that self-learning systems must also be able to explain themselves to ensure people understand and can trust their decisions.
On 12 June, Federal Minister of Education and Research Anja Karliczek, who is a Co-Chair of Plattform Lernende Systeme, and EU Commissioner Mariya Gabriel visited the platform at the stand run by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). Reimund Neugebauer, President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, and Frank Riemensperger, Chairman of Accenture, presented the work and objectives of the platform in their roles as members of the Steering Committee.
All in all, 26 representatives from Plattform Lernende Systeme took part in 13 events at CEBIT to encourage the responsible use of artificial intelligence and pomote successful applications from Germany. The expert group’s activities generated a great deal of interest from the numerous visitors who attended presentations and panel discussions and visited the platform’s stand.
Further information:
Linda Treugut / Birgit Obermeier
Press and Public Relations
Lernende Systeme – Germany's Platform for Artificial Intelligence
Managing Office | c/o acatech
Karolinenplatz 4 | 80333 Munich
T.: +49 89/52 03 09-54 /-51
M.: +49 172/144 58-47 /-39
presse@plattform-lernende-systeme.de