Cyber Valley Founding Partner Fraunhofer IAO opens KI-Studios

Stuttgart, February 1, 2024 – Cyber Valley was delighted to take part in the opening of the KI-Studios (AI Studios) by Fraunhofer IAO (Fraunhofer-Institut für Arbeitswirtschaft und Organisation IAO). The KI-Studios aims to show possible applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in the working world by enabling companies to try out interactive AI demonstrations from various sectors and then apply their knowledge. The event took place at the Institut für Arbeitswissenschaft und Technologiemanagement (Institute of Human Factors and Technology Management, IAT of the University of Stuttgart).

State Secretary Lilian Tschan (Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs), Prof. Dr. Katharina Hölzle (Director IAT of the University of Stuttgart and the Fraunhofer IAO), and Dr. Matthias Peissner (Head of Human-Technology Interaction Research Unit and Team Leader Interaction Design and Technologies at Fraunhofer IAO) opened the KI-Studios by welcoming the guests to this special event. A panel discussion followed with Cyber Valley Director Communication & Society (CCO) Rebecca Beiter, Ana Dujic (Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs), Carsten Gauch (BGV), Thomas Kniehl (Kaiser+Kraft Gmbh), and Claudius Messerschmidt (TRUMPF)

The panel discussed the impact artificial intelligence will have on the world of work and how to involve employees in AI’s implementation. When asked how KI-Studios could learn from Cyber Valley’s experiences, Rebecca Beiter had an easy answer: #bettertogether. Only together with inputs from society, science, and the economy can AI be developed and used in the best possible way. Cyber Valley has greatly benefited from the diversity of the Cyber Valley Community which itself consists of multiple perspectives.

Cyber Valley CCO Rebecca Beiter takes part in the panel discussion at the opening of KI-Studios. Photo Ludmilla Parsyak © Fraunhofer IAO

One of the main topics during the event was how to find a balance between avoiding risks while taking full advantage of AI’s potential. AI is already everywhere and will support us even more in the future. If we want to shape this future, we need well-informed employees, corporates, curious scientists, and bold entrepreneurs eager to participate in AI’s development. The KI-Studios will support this by showcasing concrete examples of AI’s useful application and embedding this in a dialogue with employees.

Rebecca Beiter was honored to be one of the five panelists to share her perspective on AI‘s potential role in the world of work, and how AI can be leveraged to drive innovation. “As we continue to explore the innovative opportunities that AI can bring to various industries, it is important to promote AI in the workplace. The KI-Studios can play a crucial role in this regard. I am honored to have been one of the panelists to share my perspective on the impact of AI on the industry and how it can be leveraged to drive innovation.”

Cyber Valley was excited to be part of this event and is looking forward to future collaborations with Fraunhofer IAO.

Prof. Dr. Katharina Hölzle, Director IAT University of Stuttgart and of Fraunhofer IAO. Photo Ludmilla Parsyak © Fraunhofer IAO

About Cyber Valley

Cyber Valley is Europe’s largest and leading center for excellence in artificial intelligence and modern robotics. Its mission and public mandate are to advocate for research, development, application, and acceptance of technologies and methods in the field of intelligent systems. Cyber Valley encourages entrepreneurship by uniting scientific excellence with innovation and technology transfer. In addition, Cyber Valley facilitates critical reflection on the ethical and social implications of AI through public engagement. Cyber Valley envisions a future in which the full potential of intelligent systems is leveraged for the greater good of the world.

The Cyber Valley Community is a network of AI researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, and start-ups, alongside partners from academia, industry, and society. Cyber Valley GmbH is owned by the State of Baden-Württemberg and the Max Planck Gesellschaft. It acts as the service provider, central organizer, and host for the Cyber Valley Community. While Cyber Valley GmbH is located in Stuttgart and Tübingen, it operates across Baden-Württemberg with a global reach, attracting the best talent from across the world to create the future with AI.

About KI-Studios

KI-Studios (AI Studios) project aims to empower employees and their interest groups from all sectors to help shape company applications of artificial intelligence. The prerequisite for this is that employees have a concrete understanding of the possibilities, areas of application, and limitations of AI. They must be aware of the positive potential of AI for their workplace, but also its risks and challenges.

The KI-Studios project is being undertaken by the Fraunhofer IAO and the University of Stuttgart and funded by the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs with around 4.1 million euros. The project involves interactive demonstrators who provide information, raise awareness, and bring AI to life with vivid and realistic application examples from the working world of today and tomorrow. In specially developed innovative workshop formats, employees are methodically supported in dealing with AI systems and empowered to participate in implementation processes.

The KI-Studios project launched an ideas competition in autumn 2023, in which organizations and companies from all over Germany applied to become part of the network. From February, seven teams will expand the network and develop further innovative demonstrators and event formats for the AI Studios. This means that even more employees and employees and their interest groups throughout Germany can now take advantage of the diverse offers throughout Germany.

Following the opening of the first AI studio in Munich in September 2023 and the start of the roadshow with the “KI Infomobile”, the range of services is now being expanded with a second AI studio in Stuttgart.

About Fraunhofer IAO

How will people live and work in the future? Asking this and similar questions, researchers at Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO apply their findings in practice to achieve concrete results. Our experts shape the interaction between humans, technology and organization with a view to the whole, keeping each customer’s specific needs in mind. We help companies and institutions recognize the potential of new technologies, harness them for profit, and open up attractive future markets. Employ our knowledge advantage to make your business a success!