announced As a Facebook and the Technical University of Munich at the beginning of the year a cooperation, the force of the critical reactions. Why should, of all things, want the data scandal-plagued US company’s contribution to independent research in the area of artificial intelligence (AI)? Especially since it’s supposed to go to the planned “Institute for Ethics in Artificial Intelligence”, the focus of the ethical aspects in connection with KI. A total of 6.5 million euros Facebook invested in a period of five years in the Institute, to be led by the business ethics Christoph Lütge. Criticism was also because the TU Munich was able to call at the time of the announcement, only a few Details about the planned project.
According to the daily mirror Background of digitisation plans are now more concrete. In the meantime, it was decided to integrate the Institute into the structures of the existing “Munich Center for Technology in Society” (MCTS), said a spokesman. The concept for the KI-ethics-Institute: of natural and social scientists to work in Tandem on projects, and specific questions from both technical and ethical perspective. This is already at the TU existing expertise should be combined accordingly, and in the newly created structures encouraged.
New chairs are not provided
the New chairs are not provided – that of Facebook co-funded professorships could be planned, was a deliberately spread false information, made it clear the speaker. Who should be responsible, he said. In March, the University held internally with a first Workshop in which the topics for research projects will be discussed and also about the personnel involved.
the First job advertisements for scientists below of professors and other staff of the Institute could be expected in April or may. In the second half of the year, was then planned for a first public Symposium.
daily mirror Background of digitalization & KI
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Against accusations that the research of the Institute could not be in view of the donor, independent, defending the University: “The only condition was that we would invest the money in research to the ethics of artificial intelligence,” says the spokesman. “Let’s see what we treat, how we organize and what people are involved, and there were no rules.” In one respect, to resist the TU but The company was, according to the speaker, namely the designate of the Director of the Institute Lütge approached with the idea for the promotion, at least this person was apparently a condition. The TU-a Professor noticed his commitment at the European level.
The Federal government does not want to evaluate the planned Institute
That third-party funding, were recruited in such an order of magnitude, from the point of view of the Left a sign for the under-funding in the higher education system. The Left party Deputy Nicole Gohlke criticized: “Many universities are forced by savings and cuts in funding to third-party agents to accept in order to get a good range of courses for the growing number of students.” In a response to a request from the Left, the Federal government of the proposed Institute does not want to rate and refers to the autonomy of the University.
unlike the Federal government, the Bavarian government of the TU München was jumped quickly to the side. For Bavaria’s Minister of science Bernd Sibler (CSU) is the cooperation a sign for the “international radiance of the science town of Bavaria”. The independence of academic research, of course.
“nobody wants a McDonald’s Institute for nutrition science”
“of Course, endangers the freedom of academic teaching and research, if you go in depending on the financial resources of private third parties,” however, Gohlke. The danger was, if funded professorships would be in direct connection with the field of activity of the sponsor company: “It would also, no one has a McDonald’s-Professor of nutritional Sciences.”
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KI-strategy of the Federal government In the establishment of new professorships, there is little progress
Sonja Álvarez
At the TU Munich you do not want to operate only research, but also a special focus on the Transfer of knowledge and this is also the policy available. The legislator – whether at the Federal or EU level – to provide advice to, the “fundamental task” of science, it says. An exchange with the data the ethics Commission of the Federal government, which is currently being prepared concrete recommendations for action for the government, but is not planned according to background information currently. The Co-Chairman Christiane Woopen, was asked, he said that the Institute was in the Commission so far not an issue and currently is not planned to put it on the Agenda.
