KI & WIR * Convention ’20

Artificial intelligence as a mirror of society

2. KI & We * Convention from Saxony-Anhalt discussed the objectivity and social relevance of artificial intelligence

Halle / Saale, November 27, 2020 – Hey Siri, do machines have prejudices? With this question, Natalie Sontopski from the Digital Culture Complex Laboratory at the Merseburg University of Applied Sciences opened the second KI & We * Convention on November 27, 2020. The digital conference invited experts and interested parties from the world of artificial intelligence to discuss social and ethical issues that the future technology AI brings with it. The state of Saxony-Anhalt supports the initiative, the science2public association – Society for Science Communication is the initiator and organizer of the KI & Wir * convention for the second time.

In addition to the revolutionary potential that technology holds for medicine, mobility and the world of work, there are also reports of failures in intelligent algorithms. Women are discriminated against, white people are preferred and problematic content is shared in chats. So how fair and objective can AI be?

Moderated by science journalist and AI specialist Eva Wolfangel, the convention offered the opportunity for an interactive exchange on this key question. In a total of seven separate discussion groups, experts from the fields of education, work, culture, politics, ethics, research and diversity invited around 60 participants to deal with the influence of algorithms on society and their own conscious how to question the unconscious usage behavior of AI.

The topicality of these topics underlines the study published just a few days before the convention on possible discrimination through algorithmic decision-making systems (AES), machine learning and other forms of artificial intelligence by the Office for Technology Assessment at the Bundestag (TAB). Its representative Dr. Alma Kolleck led the specialist talk on AI & politics. The working group summed up the fundamental finding of the 2nd AI & We * Convention: Artificial intelligence is a mirror of society, which shows which prejudices and clichés exist in it. For the future, it is important to shed light on the lack of transparency in the data feeding of AI – and possibly to establish a kind of seal of approval for innovative products that use intelligent algorithms: “May contain traces of AI!”

Stefan Göllner from the learning platform KI-Campus added the urgent need for KILiteracy in the population, i.e. the competence to deal with artificial intelligence, and raised the question of when it should start best: already in kindergartens and schools? Or in the training of teachers? What role do the STEM subjects play in this? And how can the required speed of AI competence development be achieved in view of the constantly evolving technology?

Vanessa Cann from the Bundesverband KI eV attests that European AI research has a leading position. The know-how is clearly available. However, they are still lagging behind in the development of specific AI products and services. Here it is important to find solutions to become faster in the future.

At the end of the event, there was agreement among the participants of the 2nd AI & We * Convention that the discussions must be deepened in further formats. Because too many questions remained and still remain unanswered. The new KI & Wir * website serves as a supporting platform for the convention www.ki-convention.com Already an opportunity to do so: AI experts can exchange ideas, network and deepen their knowledge in the community. In addition, AI experts will be available for consultation hours in other regular Call-a-Scientist formats. From January 2021, an accompanying monthly lecture series will also discuss other aspects of AI in a social context.