"AI & Us: Understanding, Experiencing, Discussing" was the title of a joint day of action organized by the Volkshochschule (VHS) and Fachhochschule Dortmund. Six lectures and numerous exhibits to experience and try out offered all interested parties a multifaceted overview and outlook behind the scenes of artificial intelligence (AI).
Nobody needs to be afraid of AI. Dr. Matthias Begenat, Head of Science Communication at the Center for Advanced Internet Studies (CAIS) in Bochum, emphasized this in the first lecture on Saturday, 11 November 2023, in the VHS building on Dortmund's Kampstraße. According to a study, people who have already had experience with AI programs such as ChatGPT rate the benefits of the new technology as greater and the risks as more manageable.
In other words: AI is a powerful tool, no less, but also no more. This conviction also underpinned the other contributions of the day. Design professor Pamela Scorzin from Fachhochschule Dortmund presented impressive artistic works that used AI to achieve the previously impossible: for example, the "Pollinator Pathmaker" by British artist Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg, which creates individually tailored garden plans free of charge, just as bees and other pollinating insects would do.
AI in work and education
Do we need new skills to keep up, even now that AI is working in many professions? Absolutely, said Marina Klostermann from the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in her presentation. And there is AI even for that - Marina Klostermann explained how this software can help develop the necessary skills.
Computer scientist Prof. Dr. Christoph M. Friedrich from Fachhochschule Dortmund confirmed that students at schools and universities have long since discovered powerful writing programs such as ChatGPT. AI help with homework, essays and even theses can no longer be prevented. The only sensible approach is constructive interaction, i.e. education about copyright and data protection, about the strengths and weaknesses of the programs and the obligation to disclose the extent to which AI has contributed to the creation of work.
Is AI now writing the newspaper?
Journalist Matthias Langrock, long-standing newspaper editor and member of the editorial team at Lensing Media (Ruhr Nachrichten), reported that AI is also being experimented with in the news media. The credo there is to use AI for routine work, for example, but only under the strict supervision of trained editors. He emphasized that all important work and responsibility remains with humans without exception.
"The topics complemented each other very well. All the speakers had their own perspective and presented it in a clear, profound and original way," summarized VHS Director Stephan Straub. "As a VHS, our mission is to offer relevant knowledge to everyone, with scientific expertise and yet in a way that everyone can understand. This worked wonderfully in cooperation with Fachhochschule Dortmund."
For Prof. Dr. Tamara Appel, Rector of Fachhochschule Dortmund, it is "an important part of our self-image to make the findings of our researchers and teachers available to people in the city and the region and to talk to them about them. That's why we were very happy to take this opportunity, especially as artificial intelligence is a particularly crucial topic for future life."
Interactive design exhibition
Lecturer Claudia Mai and students from the Faculty of Design at Fachhochschule Dortmund took over the large foyer of the VHS. They introduced all interested parties to image-creating AI programs and presented student works that were created using AI in various ways. The VHS AI lab complemented the interactive exhibition with many other examples of technology. Musicians Tommy Finke and Celso Machado accompanied the event with exquisite, handmade electronic music.
Finally, tech journalist Thomas Riedel spoke about the possible, probable and already established applications of AI in the huge virtual space called "Metaverse", the next evolutionary stage of the Internet, which is currently being researched and developed by many large companies.
Around 250 people attended the "AI & Us" action day. Admission and all activities were free of charge for visitors. A sequel is planned for 2024.