8th February 2024. Our very own student team #GridHarmony from Hamburg University of Technology achieved remarkable success in the #DigitalFutureChallenge hosted by the German Federal Ministry of Digital and Transport in Berlin! 🏆

Securing third place in the finals, the team developed an app that leverages #AI to navigate skillfully through electricity shortages. This app ingeniously combines financial incentives with educational nudges, empowering users to conserve electricity and champion equitable, sustainable energy distribution. Most notably, the team pioneered an innovative fairness concept, aptly named #GRID, which establishes a new benchmark in inclusive energy management.

The team emerged from a seminar at our Institute for Ethics in Technology - TUHH, led by Prof Dr Maximilian Kiener and Dr. Jonas Bozenhard, and it was inspired by a real-world use case provided by Honda Research Institute Europe GmbH. 
 

7th February 2024. We are thrilled to announce that our team at the Institute for Ethics in Technology has been awarded funding for an innovative ECIU Challenge! (Find out more about ECIU here: https://www.eciu.eu) 

Our project, titled “Creativity and Artificial Intelligence,” is designed and will be delivered by Dr. Jonas Bozenhard. This unique course will explore the intersections of creativity and artificial intelligence, investigating how these two realms can enhance and transform each other.

Leveraging the ECIU University's pioneering approach to education, this course embodies the principles of Challenge-based Learning. Students, professionals, and stakeholders will collaborate on real-world challenges, fostering a learning environment where creativity and AI ethics converge to solve societal issues. Our aim is to not only educate but also to inspire innovative solutions that also prioritise ethical considerations in the development and application of AI technologies.

This funding marks a significant milestone for our institute and underscores our commitment to innovative teaching, research, and knowledge exchange. We are excited to embark on this journey with ECIU University, and we look forward to the impactful ideas and solutions that will emerge from this challenge.

Stay tuned for more updates as we progress with this new course!

15th January 2024. Three student teams from the Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH) participated in the semi-finals of the prestigious Digital Future Challenge, a university competition focused on Corporate Digital Responsibility. This event is organised by the Initiative D21 e. V. and the Deloitte Foundation, supported by the Federal Ministry of Digital and Transport (BMDV) and the Bertelsmann Foundation, with Federal Minister Dr. Volker Wissing serving as patron. The semi-finals took place in SAP's new office in Berlin.

Among a total of 54 submissions, ten teams advanced to the semi-finals, including three from TUHH. These student teams presented their ideas on responsible and sustainable use of Artificial Intelligence to a distinguished, interdisciplinary jury. All students from the three TUHH teams are currently enrolled in our Institute's "Ethics in Technology" seminar, led by Prof. Dr. Maximilian Kiener and Dr. Jonas Bozenhard.

Notably, the team GridHarmony has made it to the final round and will be competing in the finals in Berlin this February!

This achievement highlights the importance of integrating ethical considerations into technology and digital advancements. It's encouraging to see the next generation of technologists and ethicists coming together to address these crucial issues. Stay tuned for further updates on the team's progress and insights from the competition!

Photo credit: Kevin Fuchs

17 December 2023. We're thrilled to announce that our "Ethics by Design" project has secured funding to create digital teaching content for the Hamburg Open Online University - commencing April 2024. We aim to create an innovative learning and information resource to emphasise the essential role of ethics in the development and application of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

"Ethics by Design" sheds light on how ethics is not merely an afterthought but a fundamental component at every stage of AI development. From initial conception through to implementation and eventual societal application, ethical considerations can set crucial directions for AI alignment. At the heart of this initiative is our commitment to ensuring that the next generation of technologists and developers are equipped with an ethical framework that guides their work. We believe that by integrating ethics into the very fabric of AI development, we can create a more equitable and responsible digital future.

Watch this space for more updates as we embark on this exciting journey to blend technology with ethical principles at the Hamburg Open Online University, a pioneer in offering high-quality, accessible online education!

17 November 2023. We are excited to share that Prof. Dr. Maximilian Kiener from our Institute for Ethics in Technology will be a featured participant in the 16th Mercedes-Benz Sustainability Dialogue on 22 November 2023. The panel at this event features an impressive line-up of experts in the field of technology governance, AI policy, and corporate sustainability:

• Lajla Fetic, Tech Governance and Digital Policy, Bertelsmann Stiftung
• Tatjana Evas, Legal and Policy Officer, Artificial Intelligence policy development and coordination, European Commission (DG CNECT)
• Maximilian Kiener, Junior-Professor Philosophy and Ethics in Technology, Hamburg University of Technology
• Renata Jungo Brüngger, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG. Integrity, Governance & Sustainability
• Matthias Schneider, Vice President IT RD, Security & Data, Mercedes-Benz AG

This event provides a platform for vital conversations on ethics in technology and sustainability in our rapidly evolving world. For those unable to attend in person, a live stream and later recording will be available on the Mercedes-Benz Group website: Sustainability Dialogue 2023. 

16 November 2023. We are excited to announce the release of a new episode of "Trust Issues", the engaging podcast series by ZVKI (Centre for Trustworthy AI). In this latest episode, our very own Maximilian Kiener discusses how AI models increasingly impact critical societal domains and the paradox of tech companies scaling back their ethics teams. This episode also dives into how AI and ethics can coexist effectively, examines the concept of a 'responsibility gap', and explores ways to address it. Don't miss out on this thought-provoking discussion. Listen to the episode here: Episode Link.

07 November 2023. We are delighted to announce the publication of the "Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Responsibility", edited by Maximilian Kiener. This comprehensive handbook features sections on the history, theory, and practice of responsibility, spanning from Aristotle's insights into legal responsibility to contemporary discussions on the governance of artificial intelligence. Enriched by the contributions of over 40 leading scholars from around the world, this volume offers a rich and diverse exploration of responsibility across various domains. Find the book here.