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Issues in focus

Why, AI?

Unraveling myths about automation, algorithms, society and ourselves

Everyone talks about Artificial Intelligence (AI). But how does it change society? And how can we use it to help society? For that, we need to understand how AI works and how we can make it work for us. We need to get this right, because there is so much to get wrong. This is why we have put together this online learning space. We hope that with “Why, AI?” you learn a little more about how AI impacts the world. And how we need to change AI before it changes us...

Introduction video with Matthias C. Kettemann and Daniela Dicks

About

This learning space helps you to find out more about the myths and truths surrounding automation, algorithms, society and ourselves. It is continuously being filled with new contributions.

Explore the myths around AI

Myth: AI Models are abstract and do not need personal data

In supervised machine learning, models are based on abstractions from training data. The models themselves, while structurally influenced by the training data, do not contain the data themselves. It therefore…

Myth: AI can accurately predict and optimize human behavior

People analytics promises to objectify and optimize employee-related decisions. Managers place high expectations on these tools, especially with a growing number of employees who work from home.

Myth: AI will save us from climate change

AI provides powerful tools to tackle climate change in various applications. It can support the mitigation of climate change, for instance, by helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions within various applications.

Myth: AI treats everyone equally and makes predictions fairly

Algorithmic power is accumulated at the hands of data companies that re-enforce new colonial dynamics.

Myth: AI is disrupting knowledge work

Recently, applications based on machine learning have made enormous progress and can now take over tasks such as translations, document search or image recognition.

Myth: AI understands me, but I can’t understand it

We can contribute multiple perspectives to designing and implementing AI systems that impact us all differently.

Myth: AI algorithms decide what you see online

One myth posits that AI algorithms are tools used unilaterally by corporations to control what we see; the other argues that these algorithms are mere mirrors, and we are the...

Myth: AI will end discrimination

We approach the de-mystification of this claim by looking at concrete examples of how AI (re)produces inequalities and connect those to several aspects which help to illustrate socio-technical entanglements.

Myth: AI will kill us all!

AI is used in various military applications – supporting new concepts of command and control and enabling autonomous targeting functions. This accelerates warfare and erodes human control, causing legal &...

Myth: What you do with AI in the bedroom is your own thing

While sexuality is considered to be something private, the sex robot reproduces the public/private divide by reinforcing the idea that a feminized caregiver is supposed to provide emotional support and...

Why, AI? – A new Online Learning Space

Everyone talks about AI. But how does it change society? For that, we need to understand how AI works and how we can make it work for us.

Researchers debunk these myths

Anja Dahlmann

AI will kill us all

João Carlos Magalhães

AI decides what you see online

Pinar Tuzcu

AI treats everyone equally and makes predictions fairly

Christoph Sorge

AI Models are abstract and do not need personal data

Constanze Erhard

What you do with AI in the bedroom is your own thing

Sarah Ciston

AI understands me, but I can't understand it

Raphaela Kotsch & Marcus Voß

AI will save us from climate change

Miriam Fahimi & Philipp Lücking

AI will end discrimination

Hendrik Send

AI is disrupting knowledge work

Sonja Köhne & Miriam Klöpper

AI can accurately predict and optimize human behavior

Credits

Team

Matthias C. Kettemann & Daniela Dicks (curators), Christian Grauvogel (concept), Katharina Mosene (research), Marie-Therese Sekwenz & Frederik Efferenn (communication), Katrin Werner (communication & website), Lukas Fox (website) and Larissa Wunderlich (design).

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Contact

Let’s continue a conversation about what we want AI to do to – and what we want to do with AI! We look forward to hearing from you at whyai@hiig.de.