Prof. Dr Sabina Jeschke becomes Chairwoman of the Board of the KI Park

The Start-up Accelerator and Innovation Hub promotes innovations and start-ups in the future fields of artificial intelligence

  • Prof. Dr. Sabina Jeschke, former Digital Director of Deutsche Bahn, will be the Chairwoman of the Board of the KI Park in Berlin.
  • The AI Park e.V. starts with twelve founding members: Volkswagen, Schaeffler, VDE, Celonis, FAU,Humboldt-Innovation and Science & Startups, German Entrepreneurship, GAULY, Diamant Software as well as Deloitte and Investa

Berlin, 13 October 2021 - Prof. Dr. Sabina Jeschke, former member of the board of Deutsche Bahn, will become chairwoman of the KI Park in Berlin. The aim of the association is to promote concrete applications of artificial intelligence and to develop corresponding ethical and regulatory framework conditions in Germany and Europe, taking into account the legal requirements. Further AI Park locations are already being planned. The members of the new association include prominent organisations from business, science and politics.

"In many intensive and constructive discussions with the leading minds in the field of artificial intelligence, we have analysed the current state of development of AI in Germany and Europe," says Prof. Dr. Jeschke, Chairwoman of the Board. "It is clear that cooperation between business, science and politics must be driven forward. That is why we are joining forces to exploit the potential of completely new AI technologies for Europe's prosperity and competitiveness. With the transformation of the AI Park into a non-profit association and renowned members, we are creating a platform that is unique in this form in Germany and Europe."

NEW APPLICATIONS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.

On the one hand, the focus of the AI Park is defined technologically, such as quantum computing-driven AI, 5G- or 6G-based AI, reinforcement AI, GPT-X for Europe, AI for Sustainability or new data-driven AI concepts and large-scale simulations based on synthetic data. At the same time, the AI Park is committed to European values such as self-determination and the protection of personality and focuses on value-based development.

"One of the tasks of the AI Park will be to develop ethical and regulatory frameworks. Together with experts from politics, administration and ethicists from various disciplines, we will develop proposals for responsible AI and seek a discourse on this with the media and the public. We see responsible AI as a competitive advantage for the future of Europe," says Jeschke.

The goal must be an 'explainable AI' (XAI) that does not function as a pure black box, but ranges from mechanisms of traceability to standardisation and quality control of AI. Code transparency' facilitates both the technical and organisational possibility of checking, controlling and supervising algorithmic systems and their decisions, emphasises Deputy CEO Olly Salzmann. "The AI Park will actively shape this vision.

INDUSTRIAL AND ECONOMIC EXPERTISE FOR A KI ECOSYSTEM.

"The central goal of the AI Park is to bring together German and European science and business for this essential topic of the future and to promote the use of AI and concrete applications across companies," emphasises Thomas Schiller, Managing Partner Clients & Industries at Deloitte and co-initiator of the AI Park. "In recent years, the start-up scene in Germany has developed considerably. Founders must be able to focus fully on their actual product and on launching it on the market as quickly as possible. We want to create structures for fast and extensive funding of excellent and disruptive ideas that open up new opportunities for European start-ups.

The vision is clearly outlined and the first important steps have been taken, confirms Rupprecht Rittweger, CEO of Investa and one of the founders of the initiative: "In Berlin's Marienpark, an old industrial site in the south of Berlin, we are creating an innovative quarter in which Europe's leading AI experts can develop their intellectual and creative potential, supported by industry-specific think tanks, networking service platforms and a highly available digital infrastructure.

Celonis also joined the AI Park initiative at an early stage. "For good reason," says Alexander Rinke, co-CEO and co-founder of Celonis, "because the AI expertise we have acquired in building Celonis can be shared with other start-ups, developers, researchers and users in the AI Park. Personally, I am very much looking forward to helping shape KI Park Germany as a partner - and thus the future of AI in Germany and worldwide.