Institute for Science and Ethics (IWE)
The IWE is a central research unit of the University of Bonn. Core objective is to contribute to an ethical reflection of current developments in medicine, science, and technology in order to facilitate the responsible use of new potentials emerging in these fields of human activity.
Season’s Greetings & best wishes for the New Year
As we celebrate the holidays, let us remember that
every small action can contribute to a more sustainable and compassionate world. This holiday season, may we cherish the natural world and commit to ethical choices that sustain it for generations to come. Let us also champion sustainability and ethical choices in the year ahead.
The IWE wishes you a peaceful and sustainable holiday season.
Abundant Intelligences: Decolonizing Methodologies in AI
Melanie Cheung (Indigenous AI, New Zealand)
At our "AI Ethics from the Majority World" Workshop, Dr. Melanie Cheung from Indigenous AI, Aotearoa/New Zealand, delivered a thought-provoking talk titled "Abundant Intelligences: Decolonizing Methodologies in AI."
Dr. Cheung's talk reminds us that integrating diverse worldviews, especially those rooted in abundance and sustainability, can transform the global AI conversation for the better.
The AI Queens* of Bonn
The Sustainable AI Lab at the University of Bonn is starting a new lecture series: The AI Queens* of Bonn. These events are meant to offer anyone from the Bonn area, who feels underrepresented in AI practice, research, or education, a space to connect and share their experience.
The first event will take place on January 20th, 2025 at the IWE.
Registration is now open.
An African Ethical Approach to the Sustainability of AI
In this IWE in 2 min, Jahaziel Osei Mensah explores Sustainable AI from an African perspective. He highlights Africa's pivotal role in AI development, and notes the underrepresentation of African views in the Sustainable AI debate.
Learning to Live with Strange Errors:
Beyond Trustworthiness in AI Ethics
In this IWE short talk video, Prof. Bert Heinrichs, senior researcher at IWE, presents some thoughts on the notion of "trustworthy AI". While this notion is now widely used in AI ethics, he explains why he thinks it is misleading and provides no good foundation for AI ethics.
Workshop: AI ETHICS FROM THE MAJORITY WORLD: Reconstructing the Global Debate through Decolonial Lenses
Speakers:
- Samuel Segun, Stellenbosch University, South Africa [YouTube]
- Deivison Faustino, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Brazil [YouTube]
- Modestha Mensah, University of Ghana, Ghana [YouTube]
- Husein Inusah, University of Cape Coast, Ghana [YouTube]
- Dodzi Koku Hattoh, University of Ghana, Ghana [YouTube]
- Dylan Merrick, University of Saskatchewan, Canada
- Melanie Cheung, Indigenous AI, New Zealand [YouTube]
- Wakanyi Hoffman, The New Institute, Germany
- Erick Tambo, United Nations University, Cameroon/Germany
Networking the German neuroethics community
Great progress has been made in the neurosciences. But to what extent should such new technologies or therapies intervene in the human brain? Neuroethics is investigating and discussing this question. The Research Hub Neuroethics (RHUNE) is now being set up under the project management of Prof. Dr. Bert Heinrichs.
A Network for Women Active in AI and Robotics
IWE and “Women in AI & Robotics” are jointly forming a local chapter
Human-robot interaction and sustainable artificial intelligence (AI) were the topics of discussion on 9 November 2023 at an event organized jointly by the IWE and the "Women in AI and Robotics" network.
The event date marked the start of partnership between the two organizations.
Click the button below for a recap and pictures.
The event was recorded and is available on our YouTube channel.
Philosophy of the City Journal
The inaugural issue of the Philosophy of the City Journal (POTCJ) is was recently published, which celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Philosophy of the City Research Group. POTCJ is fully open-access, and the first issue features 12 contributions covering a range of theoretical and practical topics related to urbanism and city life.
IWE Senior Researcher Taylor Stone is a member of the new journal's editorial team.
Sustainable AI Conference 2023 - Sustainable AI Across Borders
From 30th May to 1st June 2023, the Bonn Sustainable AI Lab organized its second conference dedicated to the topic of Sustainable AI with the theme Sustainable AI Across Borders.
All presentations in the main hall were recorded and will be published successively on our YouTube channel every Monday at noon.
A written review with many conference photos can be found here.
Podcast with Prof. Dr. Aimee van Wynsberghe and Wouter Kolk
Prof. Dr. Aimee van Wynsberghe met with Wouter Kolk, CEO of Ahold Delhaize Europe and Indonesia, to discuss AI ethics in industry. The two of them spoke about the demands of industry leaders to use new technologies and the needs of customers to trust companies. A provocative and insightful talk!
Many Worlds of AI Conference
The Sustainable AI Lab hosts an interdisciplinary and interactive discussion exploring the multidimensionality of the relationship between AI and sustainability for different communities, both at the global and local levels.
The event will take place as part of the Many Worlds of AI Conference in Cambridge, UK (24.4.-28.4.23) at 10:30 on 28 April 2023.
Special issue in Sustainability
The special issue of the Sustainability journal "Towards the Sustainability of AI; Multi-Disciplinary Approaches to Investigate the Hidden Costs of AI" has now been completed.
Prints will be available in the near future.
Bonn Sustainable AI Lab at COP 27
The Sustainable AI Lab hosted an interdisciplinary and interactive discussion exploring the ways AI is re-shaping common goods, such as public space and state-society relations.
The discussion took place at COP 27 on 15 November 2022.
Prof. van Wynsberghe speaks about the risks of AI for Persons with Disabilities at the World's first G7 Global Inclusion Summit
The beginning of September saw the first ever G7 Global Inclusion Summit in Berlin, hosted by the Federal Government Commissioner for Matters relating to Persons with Disabilities. The aim of the summit was to work together to enable more participation for people with disabilities in the G7 countries and to tackle global challenges together, also from the perspective of inclusion.
Prof. van Wynsberghe was invited to give a keynote on the impact of artificial intelligence on persons with disabilities. She highlighted how disability studies and scholars are largely excluded from the AI bias debate although the use of AI often exacerbates the marginalisation of persons with disabilities.
Alexander von Humboldt Professorship for Artificial Intelligence 2021
Aimee van Wynsberghe is the Alexander von Humboldt Professor for Artificial Intelligence (AI). She is sponsored by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and its sponsor, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
Launch of the Bonn Sustainable AI Lab
The Sustainable AI Lab is a space for excellent researchers from different fields to work, collaborate, and brainstorm about the environmental, social, and economic costs of designing, developing, and using AI across society.
A short clip of the lab launch is available on YouTube.
Researching Ethical AI
Stiftung Mercator awards €3.8 Million to the Universities of Bonn and Cambridge
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming society as algorithms increasingly impact access to jobs and insurance, justice, medical treatments, as well as our daily interactions with friends and family. As these technologies race ahead, we are starting to see unintended social consequences: algorithms that promote everything from racial bias in healthcare to the misinformation eroding faith in democracies. To ensure AI supports core human values, the German philanthropic foundation Stiftung Mercator has awarded a €3.8 million grant to a collaboration between the Universities of Bonn and Cambridge.
Click here for more information.
IWE in 2 minutes
The IWE has created a series of short videos in which we introduce ourselves, present our projects and promote our events.
New episodes are published on our YouTube channel regularly.
Sustainable AI Conference 2023
In June 2023 the second Sustainable AI Conference "Sustainable AI Across Borders" took place.
You can watch in on our YouTube channel.
Interviews, panels and podcasts with Aimee van Wynsberghe
On the following page you will find a selection of interviews with Prof. Dr. Aimee van Wynsberghe from the last two years.
Art Engagement
The Bonn Sustainable AI Lab regularly collaborates with artists and designers, for example in the framework of the ArtScience Residency.
Data Pollution & Power - Initiative
It is set up at the Bonn University’s Institute for Science and Ethics’ Sustainable AI Lab.
Contact
Institut für Wissenschaft und Ethik
Address
Institut für Wissenschaft und Ethik
Bonner Talweg 57
53113 Bonn
Germany
Sustainable AI Lab
Address
Institut für Wissenschaft und Ethik
Sustainable AI Lab
Bonner Talweg 57
53113 Bonn
Germany