Startups & Impact | The Hessian AICon Day 3 Review
Day 3 of The Hessian AICon was all about „Startups and Impact“.
The final day of the three-day conference started with opening remarks from TU Darmstadt President Prof. Tanja Brühl and Ayse Asar, State Secretary of the Hessian Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and the Arts. The speakers warmly welcomed the participants and gave an overview of the success story of hessian.AI – The Hessian Center for Artificial Intelligence, highlighting the establishment of a strong infrastructure through the launch of the AI supercomputer fortytwo, hosted by the Green IT Cube on the GSI/FAIR campus of the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung, as well as building a unique AI ecosystem in Hesse, and attracting internationally renowned AI researchers to hessian.AI.
As the state of Hesse, we are tremendously proud of what hessian.AI has accomplished in such a short amount of time. Already today, hessian.AI proves to be a success story, shaping the AI ecosystem in Hesse.
Ayse Asar, State Secretary of the Hessian Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and the Arts
Looking at the future, the State Secretary also stressed the importance of acting responsibly when dealing with AI, especially in light of the current debates about the active and personal usage of AI among the general public ever since the hype around ChatGPT. “In this context, AI is a gateway to a world full of opportunities and innovations. And to create those opportunities and innovations, it takes the brightest minds to collaborate in research and teaching. And that’s exactly what we find at hessisan.AI,” said Asar.
“What’s the current state of AI? What kind of opportunities does AI offer and what major challenges are we going to face in the future?” These questions were discussed in the panel discussion “The dAI after tomorrow – (no) future without AI?” with leading AI experts. Tech journalist, speaker, and podcast host Svea Eckert hosted the session. hessian.AI co-directors Kristian Kersting and Mira Mezini, Anna Jahn, Director, Public Policy and Learning of the AI4Humanity team at Mila (Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute), incoming TU professor Marcus Rohrbach, incoming TU professor Anna Rohrbach, the Chair of AI Methodology at RWTH Aachen University Holger Hoos, and Matthias Biel from Software AG, discussed how science, politics, and the economy can identify, explore, and ultimately manage the risks and weaknesses of this rapidly developing technology in the future.
One thing became very clear over the course of the panel discussion: artificial intelligence is already shaping, changing, and impacting everyday life at every level, and it will continue to do so. And therefore, we need to create appropriate frameworks and policies for this future technology to be able to ensure that artificial intelligence is handled responsibly in research, economy, and society at large.
Artificial intelligence is like a rough diamond.
Prof. Mira Mezini, Co-Director hessian.AI
It’s up to us to cut and polish it.
Another highlight of the day was the pitch session of the startups currently participating in the AI Startup Rising Ignition program: Green Convenience, TecLex, reLi Energy, DeepLS, and Veli. The AI Startup Rising incubator supports five young startups each with financial funding of 10,000 euros as well as a 6-module coaching program, in which the participating startups receive know-how and support to optimize and professionalize their AI technology stack, but also in terms of quality management, sales, venture capital, marketing, as well as IP and legal.
Nils Gähler illustrated the challenges startups face when realizing AI product ideas, using the example of Wingcopter, a company founded in 2017 to develop AI-assisted drones for humanitarian causes.
Twelve startups took advantage of the open mic session to briefly present themselves and their AI innovations, including Wianco OTT Robotics with its process automation tool Emma, the startup Phont, which develops emotional fonts for subtitles, the digital emergency ambulance MySympto, and the sustainability startup Reegy.
With 47 exhibitors, the fair offered numerous opportunities for knowledge-sharing, networking, and inspiration. Visitors were able to meet innovative AI startups from across Hesse, as well as representatives of leading technology companies and sponsors such as Continental AG and the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung. In addition, they had the unique chance to get a glimpse of what the future of AI has in store for us through research-driven exhibits and demos, such as the “moral” robot “Alfie” from the Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Lab at TU Darmstadt or the assistance robot “Temi” from the “Future Aging” project of Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences and PureSec.
About The Hessian AICon by hessian.AI
The Hessian AICon by hessian.AI, held from July 4th to 6th, provided an extensive insight into the realm of Artificial Intelligence and the AI ecosystem of Hesse and beyond.
Over the course of three exciting days, every facet of Artificial Intelligence was illuminated, discussed, and demonstrated. The AICon showcased the latest developments and trends in this dynamic field. After the Welcome Ceremony on July 4th, on July 5th, the spotlight was on “Research & Technology,” featuring captivating talks and invaluable networking opportunities. This was the chance to meet distinguished researchers and experts from both academia and industry, expanding your professional network. July 6th was all about “Startups & Impact,” offering numerous networking possibilities with startups from the AI ecosystem and industrial partners. Explore the Hessian AI ecosystem at the exhibition and experience AI up close through impressive demonstrations.
