News
Project Wrap-Up for Rewilding the Night
After two years, the Rewilding the Night research project coordinated by the IWE comes to an end in November. The project will conclude with a public night walk from the institute building to the University of Bonn's Botanical Gardens. During the walk, visualisations of the research results will be presented and information will be provided about the consequences of light pollution.
The event will take place on the evening of 28 November 2024 and will be held in English. On request, the content can be translated into German in a reduced form.
If you are interested in the event, please fill out the registration form!
Workshop: AI ETHICS FROM THE MAJORITY WORLD: Reconstructing the Global Debate through Decolonial Lenses
This two-day workshop “AI Ethics from the Majority World: Reconstructing the Global Debate Through Decolonial Lenses” offers a forum to discuss alternatives to the status quo of AI ethics. Hosted by the University of Bonn’s Institute for Sciences and Ethics, the workshop aims to advance a reconstruction of the proliferated perspectives of AI ethics, dominantly shaped by ethical standards from historically hegemonic groups in the Minority World, by examining the plural decolonial schools of thought that challenge the positions that have shaped AI development worldwide.
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.
Rewilding the Night - Website Launch
The website of the research project Rewilding the Night is now online. From July 2023 to July 2024, various measurements with light sensors have been and will be carried out at various locations in the Botanical Gardens of the University of Bonn.
With the aim of generating more attention for the topic of light pollution, the collected data is made more 'legible' through various visualisations.
You can see these visualisations updated daily on the new website. A time-lapse of the last 24 hours from a 360° sky camera installed in the botanical garden is also available there.
Data and AI for a Sustainable Tomorrow
Webinar with Prof. Dr. Aimee van Wynsberghe
Wednesday, 31 January 2024, 17:00 - 18:30 CET.
A registration is required.
Job advertisement
Lab Manager
Starting as soon as possible, the Chair "Applied Ethics of Artificial Intelligence" at the IWE is looking to hire a
Lab Manager (full time, 100%)
on a temporary contract, limited until 31st January 2028.
Application deadline: 23 November 2023
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) will be the topics of discussion on Thursday, November 9th 2023 at an event organized jointly by the IWE and the "Women in AI and Robotics" network.
The event date marks the start of partnership between the two organizations, and is aimed at recruiting new members interested in joining Women in AI & Robotics. The event will be held in English and will take place at the IWE from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. All interested parties are invited to attend. Please register below.
Philosophy of the City Journal
The inaugural issue of the Philosophy of the City Journal (POTCJ) 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.
Robots, Joint Actions and Collective Responsibility
Talk cancelled!
Unfortunately we have to cancel the talk on “Robots, Joint Actions and Collective Responsibility” on 25th September. Due to personal reasons, Prof. Seumas Miller will not be able to join us in Bonn. We hope to reschedule the talk and apologise for any inconvenience.
Artificial Intelligence and Sustainability:
What's the problem?
Talk by Larissa Bolte, 23 September 2023, Bonn
Within this keynote of the first "Bonner Digitalfabrik" Larissa Bolte will also present the work of the Bonn Sustainable AI Lab.
The ethics of AI in medicine: From a local to a global context, and back
Talk by Dr Tijs Vandemeulebroucke, 22 September 2023, Berlin
The talk will focus on the use of AI in healthcare settings through an environmental-social lens. It will entail a call to enlarge the current bioethical approaches, with a local focus, to a global bioethics approach and will ask the question whose health we are actually talking about when we speak of using AI in healthcare settings.
AI in Agriculture: Exploring the Promises and Perils of an AI-Enabled Green Transformation in the Philippines.
Talk by Sophia Falk, 19 September 2023, 9:15 AM (CET) via Zoom
Sophia Falk has been invited to speak at the 9th Annual Public Policy Conference (APPC) "Green and Digital: Managing the Twin Transition toward Sustainable Development", organized by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies. The event will take place from 9:00am to 5:30pm (Manila Time) on September 19, 2023.
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.
Application deadline for "Future of AI" summit
Talented young researchers in AI(-related) fields in Germany wanted!
Join the exclusive "Future of AI" Summit on 27-28 Sept. 2023 at RWTH Aachen, Germany. Connect with renowned AI professors and present your research.
Apply by 30 June 2023.
Public Lecture & Workshop by Prof. Dr. Andrew Feenberg
On the 15th till the 16th of June 2023, the IWE will welcome Prof. Dr. Andrew Feenberg (Simon Faser University, Canada) to give a public lecture and a workshop.
The public lecture (15th of June) is open for everyone. The workshop (16th of June) is open to all academic researchers of the University of Bonn, with priority to PhD students. Registration and more information via bolte@uni-bonn.de.
Obituary for Professor Dr. med. Dr. h.c. Kurt Fleischhauer
The Institute for Science and Ethics regrets the loss of Professor Dr. med. Dr. h.c. Kurt Fleischhauer, who passed away on June 13, 2023 at the age of 93.
Sustainable AI Conference 2023
Sustainable AI Across Borders, 30 May - 1 June 2023 in Bonn
Keynote Speakers:
Prof. Dr Shannon Vallor (University of Edinburgh)
Prof. Dr Caesar Atuire (University of Ghana)
Prof. Dr Benedetta Brevini (University of Sydney and London School of Economics )
Prof. Dr Ulises Mejias (SUNY Oswego College)
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!
Robots as an opportunity for the job market
Report from the German TV station WDR programme "Markt", broadcast on 26 April 2023 with an interview with Prof. Dr. Aimee van Wynsberghe.
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.
International Women's Day 2023
Prof. Dr. Aimee van Wynsberghe will give a lecture on 8 March 2023 as part of an event at the University of Bonn on International Women's Day.
The topic is "AI and gender equality".
What can artificial intelligence do - now and in the future?
Report of the "Servicezeit" from the German TV station WDR, broadcasted on 28 February 2023 with an interview with Prof. Dr. Aimee van Wynsberghe.
From an Ethics of Carefulness to an Ethics of Desirability: Going Beyond Current Ethics Approaches to Sustainable AI
Talk by Larissa Bolte, M.A.
7 February 2023, 13.00-13:45
Online, as part of the Virtual Ethical Innovation Lecture (VEIL) series of the Ethical Innovation Hub at the University of Lübeck.
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.
Repairing Artificial Intelligence for Environmental Justice
Talk by Prof. Dr. Aimee van Wynsberghe
Bonn, 24 January 2023
Lecture at Dies Academicus
Suizidprävention in sozialen Medien mithilfe von künstlicher Intelligenz.
Eine ethische Analyse
(Suicide prevention in social media with the help of artificial intelligence.
An ethical analysis)
Prof. Dr. Bert Heinrichs
Bonn, 7 December 2022
Job advertisement
W 2 Professorship in Environmental Ethics
Call for Papers
for the
Bonn Sustainable AI conference 2023: "Sustainable AI Across Borders"
Deadline for abstract submission: January 31st 2023
Conference: May 30th to June 1st 2023
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.
One Health Research Symposium 2022
The objective of the event is to bring together different research groups, policymakers, practitioners, and grassroots community advocates that are based in Bonn and apply the One Health approach to advancing research and driving action across sectors for improving the health of living organisms and promoting social equality and environmental sustainability.
Dr. Christina Pinsdorf (IWE) has been invited to talk about the concepts of One Health and Bioeconomy from a philosophical perspective.
Bonn, 3rd November 2022 ,13:00 to 18:00 (CET).
Participation is free but registration is requested.
Desirable Futures: Interdisciplinary Perspectives
International experts discuss possible and probable futures, and the challenges we face in making these futures desirable. Participants will speak across disciplines to consider ethics, artificial intelligence and resilience among other topics. At each session, a succinct lead presentation will be followed by several specialist commentaries, setting the scene for a substantial, free and open discussion. This is a rare opportunity to engage with globally leading thinkers in the field of futures.
An event organized by the Center for Life Ethics together with the Institute for Science and Ethics and the University of Bonn.
The event will be held in English.
25 October 2022, 11:00 am - 6:00 pm, Bonn
Sustainable resource use - from Coring to Coding
The University of Bonn-University of St Andrews Brussels Discussion Series brings together leading experts from both institutions to explore, challenge, and encourage lively debate around some of the most pressing issues facing European and global societies today.
From Bonn, Aimee van Wynsberghe, Alexander von Humboldt Professor for Applied Ethics of Artificial Intelligence at the University of Bonn will participate in the panel.
17 October 2022, 11:00 CET, Scotland House Brussels.
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 2022 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.
Bonn Sustainable AI Lab at Ars Electronica Festival
The Bonn Sustainable AI Lab team was very excited to travel to Austria for one of the most important festivals for digital art: Ars Electronica. The festival took place from 7-11 September 2022 in Linz, Austria, and focussed on the interlinkages between art, technology and society.
At the festival, the ArtScience Residency’s winner Irakli Sabekia presented his ‘Archive of Spatial Knowledge’, the artwork he created in the framework of the residency with the Sustainable AI Lab.
Aimee van Wynsberghe and Irakli Sabekia participated in the panel “Residency. But How?” and shared their experiences with the residency programme.
Click the links below for more information or a video of the panel.
Aimee van Wynsberghe admitted to the Academy of Sciences and Literature
The Academy of Sciences and Literature has admitted six new members. Among them is Humboldt Professor Aimee van Wynsberghe. The AI ethicist from the University of Bonn has become a full member of the Humanities and Social Sciences Class.
Throwback: Bonn Sustainable AI Lab goes to Ghana!
In May 2022 the Bonn Sustainable AI Lab team travelled to Accra, Ghana, for the workshop “Sustainable AI Across Borders,” which was jointly organised by the lab and the Department of Philosophy and Classics at the University of Ghana, Legon.
“The purpose of this trip was to strengthen the partnership that we have, to share research ideas and to plan for fruitful collaborations in the future,” says Prof. Dr Aimee van Wynsberghe, the lab’s director.
Click the link below for more information as well as photos and a video.
Job advertisement
CfA Senior Fellowship "Desirable Digitalisation"
Start: August/September 2022Please click here for more information.
ArtScience Residency – Irakli Sabekia
Artist talk at Foyer of Deutsche Telekom
9. June 2022, 17:00 – 19:00
Language: English
Place: Foyer Headquarter Deutsche Telekom, Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 140, 53113 Bonn (open for everybody) or ONLINE-STREAM.
Speaker: Irakli Sabekia (Artist), Prof. Dr. Aimee van Wynsberghe (Sustainable AI Lab, University Bonn), Antje Hundhausen (Vice President Brand Experience, Deutsche Telekom)
Moderator: Laura Welzenbach (Head of Ars Electronica Export)
ArtScience Residency 2022 - The winners
Alexander von Humboldt Professorship for Artificial Intelligence 2021
Aimee van Wynsberghe is the Alexander von Humboldt Professor for Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Job advertisement
Research Associates (TV-L E13, 100%)
Please click here for more information.
The application process is closed.
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.
ArtScience Residency 2022 Open Call
Sustainable AI Conference
The University of Bonn launched the world's first International conference on the topic of "Sustainable AI" in June 2021.
The whole conference is now available on YouTube.
The report of the "Global Future Council on AI for Humanity" is also available now.
Data Pollution & Power - Initiative
The Data Pollution & Power (DPP) Initiative explores the power dynamics that shape the data pollution of AI across the UN Sustainable Development Goals. We examine the data of AI as a human and natural resource in data eco-systems of power and consider actions and governance approaches that are intrinsically interrelated in systems of power and interests. The initiative is led by the independent senior researcher Gry Hasselbalch.
It is set up at the Bonn University’s Institute for Science and Ethics’ Sustainable AI Lab.
Call for Papers
This Special Issue is designed to think about the sustainability of AI and aims at sparking discussion on the environmental, social and economic costs of designing, developing and using AI across society.
