The German federal government’s AI strategy – Plattform Lernende Systeme organises public debate
Germany’s federal government today finalised its Artificial Intelligence (AI) strategy. The goal is to establish “AI made in Germany” as a seal of quality for conscientious AI and make up ground lost to international competitors. Plattform Lernende Systeme – Germany’s platform for Artificial Intelligence – is to contribute to broad societal dialogue on AI.
Germany’s AI strategy revolves around the idea that, much like any other form of technology, Artificial Intelligence must serve humans and not the other way around. One of the government’s aims is therefore to train workers throughout the country to collaborate effectively with self-learning systems. Technical procedures that make it possible to monitor and retrace the decisions made by AI systems should be encouraged as much as research into IT security. To ensure people can play a role in deciding how AI should be used in Germany, the government is keen to invest in societal dialogue, participative procedures and raising awareness.
Among other things, the AI strategy focuses on the exchange of data required to train self-learning systems. To this end, for example, the German federal government wishes to ensure competition law allows companies to form data partnerships and to make data held by public authorities accessible via open data platforms for the purpose of researching and developing new applications. Anonymization processes, for instance, are to be promoted in order to safeguard data against misuse – particularly in the healthcare sector, which the strategy defines as a promising area of application, protecting sensitive patient data is paramount.
“The AI strategy rightly demands that data pools are formed to increase the volume of available data. Patients, however, will only provide their information if they are certain that their personal data is secure and that medical AI applications will benefit their health,” says Karl-Heinz Streibich, Co-Chair of Plattform Lernende Systeme. “We need to openly establish dialogue with all groups in society regarding the potential and risks of AI. This is the only way people will gain confidence in this technology and make use of the opportunities it offers in Germany and Europe,” Streibich continues.
Plattform Lernende Systeme represents the diverse interests in AI
Initiated by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Plattform Lernende Systeme is assisting with the implementation of the AI strategy by bringing together politicians, scientists and entrepreneurs to share and discuss ideas with the rest of society. The platform’s 200 or so experts come from companies, research institutes, trade unions and NGOs, representing the wide range of interests in Germany. They pool their expertise and different perspectives into seven focus groups, developing recommendations and application scenarios that they inject into the public debate.
Plattform Lernende Systeme has already made a major contribution to the AI strategy’s development, as 19 platform members participated in the six specialist forums, during which around 140 experts in all advised Germany’s federal government on devising its AI strategy.
You can find further information (in German) about the federal government’s AI strategy at www.ki-strategie-deutschland.de
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