SRF IRIS

"Per Roboter mittendrin: Telepräsenz in der Wissenschaftskommunikation" via @WisskommPortal@wisskomm.social

https://www.wissenschaftskommunikation.de/per-roboter-mittendrin-telepraesenz-in-der-wissenschaftskommunikation-94031/

Call for Participation — WebSci’26

📣 Call for Participation: 18th ACM Web Science Conference (WebSci’26)

The Web Science community is coming together again in 2026!
We warmly invite researchers, practitioners, and students to participate in the 18th ACM Web Science Conference, taking place May 21–26, 2026, at @tubraunschweig@wisskomm.social, Germany.

🌐 Theme: Managing Risks in the Era of Generative AI — How 20 Years of Web Science Research Can Help

WebSci’26 welcomes interdisciplinary contributions exploring the Web’s societal impacts — from AI and misinformation to governance, inclusion, and online behavior.

📄 Paper submission deadline: today (Dec 17, Anywhere on Earth)
🛠️ Workshops & Tutorials: Jan 9, 2026
📌 Posters & PhD Symposium: Feb 18, 2026

🔗 Learn more and get involved: https://websci26.org/

We look forward to welcoming the Web Science community to Braunschweig!

🔵 Next week (8–13 September), Dr Curtis Runstedler AFHEA, our post doc at IRIS, will travel to Karachi, Pakistan, to give two invited lectures at the Institute of Business Administration (IBA).
🔵 For IRIS, his first lecture takes a critical posthuman feminist perspective on the commodification of sex robots and artificial intimacy in contemporary speculative fiction. He will discuss works such as Jeanette Winterson’s Frankissstein, Paolo Bacigalupi’s Mika Model, and Sierra Greer’s Annie Bot.
🔵 This lecture draws on a new journal article he co-authored with Dr. Sercan Hamza Bağlama (Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart Üniversitesi), which is currently under review.
🔵 We are excited to see Dr. Runstedler represent IRIS in Karachi and to contribute to international conversations on literature, technology, and ethics.

#IRISStuttgart
#CurtisRunstedler
#AcademicTalks
#GuestLecture
g#SpeculativeFiction
#PosthumanFeminism
#ArtificialIntimacy
#SexRobots
#AIandSociety
#EthicsAndTechnology
#CriticalPerspectives
#HumanitiesAndAI
#ResearchOnAI
#DigitalHumanities
#ScienceCommunication
#LiteratureAndTechnology
#FutureOfIntimacy
#Karachi
#Pakistan
#IBA

What does it actually mean when we say that generative AI raises ethical questions?
🔵 Dr. Thilo Hagendorff, our research group leader at IRIS3D, has taken this question seriously and systematically. With his interactive Ethics Tree, he has created one of the most comprehensive overviews of ethical problem areas in generative AI: https://lnkd.in/ebzZYaU7
More than 300 clearly defined issues – ranging from discrimination and disinformation to ecological impacts – demonstrate the depth and scope of the ethical landscape. This “tree” does not merely highlight risks, but structures a field that is increasingly under pressure politically, technologically, and socially.
Mapping these questions so systematically underlines the need for ethical reflection as a core competence in AI research – not after the fact, but as part of the epistemic and technical process.

#GenerativeAI
#AIethics
#ResponsibleAI
#EthicsInAI
#TechEthics
#AIresearch
#MachineLearning
#AIgovernance
#DigitalEthics
#AlgorithmicBias
#Disinformation
#SustainableAI
#InterdisciplinaryResearch
#ScienceAndSociety
#IRIS3D

At IRIS, we see Public Engagement not as an extra, but as a central part of interdisciplinary AI research.
In this short film, we share a glimpse into our approach.

#IRISStuttgart
#PublicEngagement
#AIandSociety
#ScienceCommunication
#Wissenschaftskommunikation
#UniversityofStuttgart
#ResponsibleResearch
#Interdisciplinary
#HumanCenteredAI

Happening Today at the University of Stuttgart: The IRIS Summer Symposium 2025!
We're delving into the complexities of intelligent systems and their societal impacts through a series of insightful talks and discussions. Key topics include:
🔵 Computational Digital Psychology – Exploring how digital environments influence human behavior.
🔵 Ethics of Generative AI – Examining the moral considerations surrounding AI-generated content.
🔵 Diversity-Aware NLP Intelligent Systems – Developing language processing tools that respect and reflect societal diversity.
🔵 Human-Intelligent Systems Interaction and Teaming – Investigating collaborative dynamics between humans and intelligent systems.
🔵 Teaching and Learning Forum RISING – Innovating educational approaches to prepare students for an AI-integrated future.
🔵 IRIS Public Engagement – Bridging the gap between scientific research and public discourse.
🔵 Poster Session Highlights – Showcasing interdisciplinary research on topics such as:
Trust dynamics in human-chatbot interactions.
Societal and organizational impacts of AI.
Literary narratives as tools for critically reflecting on intelligent systems.
Human-AI teaming in flight operations.
📍 Venue: University of Stuttgart, Campus Vaihingen
🕘 Time: 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (CEST)
📌 Poster Session: 2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., Room UN34.150
This event is free and open to all interested individuals. If you're passionate about the intersection of technology and society, there's still time to join us!
🔗 Learn more: www.iris.uni-stuttgart.de

#IRISStuttgart #IRISSummerSymposium #AIandSociety
#EthicsInAI #HumanAIInteraction
#NLP
#PublicEngagement #InterdisciplinaryResearch #UniversityOfStuttgart

📢 Save the date! Our next IRIS Insights is coming up this Thursday, June 26 at 2:00 PM (CEST).

We’re delighted to welcome Prof. Monilola Olayioye, who will speak on:
🎙️ "Tumors in Dishes: New Opportunities for Personalized Medicine"

In her talk, Prof. Olayioye will explore how patient-derived tissue samples can be used to advance cancer treatment. She’ll share insights from the 3R-US team on developing human tumor models – often called “tumors in dishes” – and how they are applied in the lab to test new therapies. The talk will also highlight approaches like bioprinting, alternatives to animal testing, and cancer biotherapeutics designed to activate the immune system.

🎯 The goal: more personalized and more effective cancer therapies.

This is the third talk in our IRIS Insights series, which showcases interdisciplinary research from the IRIS community and provides a space for dialogue across fields.

🗓️ Thursday, 26 June
🕑 2:00 PM (CEST)
🔗 Join via Webex – link in bio/comments
🗣️ Language: English

We’re looking forward to an inspiring session and hope to see you online!

#IRISInsights #CancerResearch #3R #PersonalizedMedicine #Bioprinting #TumorModels #ScienceCommunication #SRFIRIS #UnivStuttgart
#BiomedicalResearch #Immunotherapy #FutureOfMedicine #TranslationalResearch #HumanTissueModels #NoAnimalTesting #OpenScience
#LifeSciences #HealthInnovation #AcademicTalk #InterdisciplinaryResearch #MedicalInnovation #WomenInScience #ScienceEvent #UniversityResearch

IRIS Board of Directors
Prof. Dr. André Bächtiger
Prof. Dr. Reinhold Bauer
Prof. Dr. Sibylle Baumbach
Dr. Miriam K.
Prof. Dr. @ai@forfuture.social Staab
Jun.-Prof. Dr. Maria Wirzberger

🤝 In collaboration with the (@UniStuttgartAI@xn--baw-joa.social) Institute for Artificial Intelligence at the Universität Stuttgart, it is our great pleasure to highlight the following event:
🎤 Engineering Safe Systems with AI
🗓️ June 5, 2025 | 15:45 | Room U32.101, Universitätsstraße 32
We’re pleased to support this talk by Dr. Reinhard Stolle Deputy Director at Fraunhofer IKS, on how to engineer safe AI-enabled systems without compromising innovation.
In his talk, “Engineering Safe Systems with AI”, Dr. Stolle will explore two key perspectives on safety: a safety-centricand an AI-centric view. He will present his team’s approach to combining the strengths of both, introducing a model for continuous safety engineering for high-risk AI systems—explicitly modeling and propagating uncertainties and confidences during both design and operation.
📣 Students, staff, and all interested guests are warmly invited to attend this exciting and insightful session!

👤 About the Speaker
Dr. Reinhard Stolle is Deputy Director of Fraunhofer IKS and Head of the Mobility Business Unit. He studied computer science at FAU Erlangen and the University of Colorado at Boulder, earned his master’s and Ph.D. in AI, and completed postdoctoral research at Stanford. His career spans AI research at Xerox PARC, 14 years in software and autonomous driving at BMW, and leadership roles at AID (VW Group) and Argo AI, focusing on Level 4 autonomous vehicles.
#AI
#SafeAI
#Engineering
#FraunhoferIKS
#AIsafety
#AutonomousSystems
#TechTalk
#Innovation
#ContinuousEngineering
#AIethics
#KIInstitut
#AIresearch

IRIS Board of Directors
Prof. Dr. André Bächtiger
Prof. Dr. Reinhold Bauer
Prof. Dr. Sibylle Baumbach
Dr. Miriam K.
Prof. Dr. Steffen Staab @ai@forfuture.social
Jun.-Prof. Dr. Maria Wirzberger

🌍 Brave Conversations is coming to Stuttgart! 🚀
🟢 5/7/2025, 10am to 04pm
🟢 @Aquarium Campus Vaihingen
🟢 Pfaffenwaldring 45

Since 2017, Brave Conversations has created spaces around the world for people to explore how emerging technologies are transforming our lives—and how we are shaping them in return. Rooted in the spirit of the Web Science Conferences, these events bring critical discussions into the public sphere, inviting diverse voices to reflect, question, and co-create our digital future.

🗓️ Join us for Brave Conversations: Stuttgart 2025 – a dynamic, day-long event open to everyone interested in the societal impact of digital innovation.
We at IRIS – the 🔵 Interchange Forum for Reflecting on Intelligent Systems are proud and excited to co-organize this event alongside School for Talents (with Lisa Kohler), Stuttgarter Change Labs (Spela Setzen), and Intersticia, and to host it at the Universität Stuttgart.
Whether you're a student, researcher, creative thinker, or simply curious about how humans and technologies shape one another — your voice matters in these conversations.

💡 Expect thoughtful dialogue, hands-on learning, and a welcoming atmosphere led by an experienced team of facilitators, including Anni Rowland-Campbell, Hannah Stewart, and Ghada Ibrahim, with contributions from our brilliant team at the University of Stuttgart.

💬 We believe that change begins with dialogue. Come share your perspective and help shape the digital world we want to live in.
📲 Registration: https://lnkd.in/e4NpUCKz

#BraveConversations
#Stuttgart2025
#IRIS
#DigitalSociety
#WebScience
#HumanTechnology
#DigitalTransformation
#AIandSociety
#TechForGood
#FutureOfTechnology
#EthicsInTech
#DigitalHumanities
#CriticalThinking
#TechDialogue
#DigitalLiteracy
#STEM
#Innovation
#UniversityOfStuttgart
#Intersticia
#ChangeLabs
#SchoolForTalents
#DigitalCulture
#PublicEngagement
#CoCreation
#ReflectivePractices
#CyberValley

IRIS Board of Directors
Prof. Dr. André Bächtiger
Prof. Dr. Reinhold Bauer
Prof. Dr. Sibylle Baumbach
Dr. Miriam K.
Prof. Dr. Steffen Staab
Jun.-Prof. Dr. Maria Wirzberger

If you're part of the IRIS community – like Cyber Valley, @izkt_stuttgart@xn--baw-joa.social – Internationales Zentrum für Kultur- und Technikforschung der Universität Stuttgart, ARENA2036 or @alexanderbrem@sueden.social we’d love to see you join the conversation!

IRIS Insights I Nico Formanek: Are hyperparameters vibes?
April 24, 2025, 2:00 p.m. (CEST)
Our second IRIS Insights talk will take place with Nico Formanek.
🟦
This talk will discuss the role of hyperparameters in optimization methods for model selection (currently often called ML) from a philosophy of science point of view. Special consideration is given to the question of whether there can be principled ways to fix hyperparameters in a maximally agnostic setting.
🟦
This is a WebEx talk to which everyone who is interested is cordially invited. It will take place in English. Our IRIS speaker, Jun.-Prof. Dr. Maria Wirzberger, will moderate it. Following Nico Formanek's presentation, there will be an opportunity to ask questions. We look forward to active participation.
🟦
Please join this Webex talk using the following link:
https://lnkd.in/eJNiUQKV
🟦
#Hyperparameters #ModelSelection #Optimization #MLMethods #PhilosophyOfScience #ScientificMethod #AgnosticLearning #MachineLearning #InterdisciplinaryResearch #AIandPhilosophy #EthicsInAI #ResponsibleAI #AITheory #WebTalk #OnlineLecture #ResearchTalk #ScienceEvents #OpenInvitation #AICommunity #LinkedInScience #TechPhilosophy #AIConversations

Milan Obaidi, Robin Bergh, Simon Ozer and our IRIS research group leader Cornelia Sindermann have published an article in the journal European Review of Social Psychology.

ABSTRACT
The global threat of violent extremism (VE) has intensified in recent years, evidenced by a significant increase in violent incidents. Despite numerous theoretical and empirical explanations across disciplines, a lack of cross-fertilisation between these research domains has hindered the development of a comprehensive understanding of VE. To bridge this gap, this review integrates diverse lines of research into a comprehensive psychological model of VE, synthesising objective situations, subjective appraisals, and key individual psychological factors contributing to VE inclinations. We aim to develop a framework that more precisely demonstrates how these variables fit together, highlighting the added value of integration over piecemeal investigations. We specifically advocate for a multilevel approach that incorporates predictors from various levels of analysis to provide detailed mechanisms for how these variables relate to and complement one another. We further illuminate a multitude of mediation and moderation effects, some already tested empirically, while others await future research.

Full article: https://doi.org/10.1080/10463283.2025.2478735

#violentextremism #LLMs #europeanreviewofsocialpsychology

We cordially invite all interested parties at the Universität Stuttgart to our IRIS Colloquium on March 26, at 2 p.m., in Room 101 at Universitätsstr. 32.
🟦
Mara Seyfert will give her lecture, „Uncertainty and robustness against persuasion in large language models.“
🟦
Today's large language models (LLMs) excel at providing convincing answers across a broad spectrum of inquiries, with their conversational capabilities enabling them to closely align with users' needs. However, this adaptability is beneficial only to the extent as models remain robust to adopting wrong statements from user inputs.
🟦
Recent research demonstrates that even advanced models like GPT-4 can shift from initially correct answers to incorrect ones during multi-turn conversations solely due to user input. In my talk, I will present my research exploring how uncertainty in LLMs can provide insights into their robustness against persuasion while highlighting the specific challenges of quantifying uncertainty in these models.
🟦
The lecture is held in English. Registration is not necessary.
🟦
#LargeLanguageModels #AI #GPT #GPT4 #robustnessagainstpersuasion #AIResearch #MachineLearning #LLMs #ArtificialIntelligence #TechTalk #RobustAI #DataScience #AIethics #Innovation

Why is the integration of robots into the construction industry considered crucial? How can human-robot collaboration (HRC) be enhanced in the construction industry? What new perspectives does feminist technoscience offer on human-robot collaboration in construction and prefabrication?

Gili Ron, Thomas Wortmann, Cordula Kropp, and Achim Menges (IRIS members) published an article about "Human-Robot Reconfigurations: Advancing Feminist Technoscience Perspectives for Human-Robot-Collaboration in Architecture and Construction" in M. Kanaani (Ed.), The Routledge Companion to Smart Design Thinking in Architecture & Urbanism Fora Sustainable, Living Planet (1st edition, pp. 669–679). Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.

Abstract
Integrating robots in the construction industry is an essential requirement for urgently needed improvements in productivity and sustainability. This integration requires new perspectives on human-robot collaboration (HRC) to retain skilled staff and support skills and decision-making while considering conditions on-site. This chapter reflects on HRC for prefabrication and construction from the perspective of feminist technoscience, a transdisciplinary field offering distinct ways of thinking about society, technologies, bodies, power, and the environment. Specifically, the chapter proposes new perspectives on agents, agency, and collaboration. Applied to HRC, these perspectives can for example imply (1) situated interfaces supporting multi-agent collaborations of skilled workers and robots, (2) human training of robots on how to adapt to changing conditions and uncertainties on-site enabled by machine learning, and (3) collaborative prefabrication and construction processes supporting on-the-fly design decisions. Such approaches reconsider “agency” as a collaborative unit of human and non-human agents and foster trust and sensible task distribution for improved efficiency in fabrication.

Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eda6Qxw7

On February 27, 2025, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m., we are launching our new series IRIS Insights. Prof. Zamira Daw is our first guest. Everyone interested is cordially invited to this WebEx talk.
✈️
Human-AI Teaming in Cockpit Systems (HAITICS)
✈️
As artificial intelligence (AI) advances, its integration into safety-critical applications presents both opportunities for improving efficiency but also challenges in ensuring safety. In cockpit systems, understanding pilot interaction with AI-based technologies is crucial for assessing overall flight safety.
✈️
This research explores human-AI interaction in aviation through interdisciplinary collaboration between the Institute of Aircraft Systems and IRIS, combining expertise in aviation systems, AI, and human factors. Traditionally, human-machine systems are developed by defining system behavior and training pilots, who remain responsible for monitoring, error detection, and overriding automation when needed. AI disrupts this model by: 1) Introducing higher levels of automation, increasing operational complexity and making it harder for pilots to detect system failures; 2) Exhibiting unpredictable behaviors, such as overconfidence and hallucinations, which are difficult to identify.
✈️
This research examines key factors in pilot-AI collaboration, including workload, trust, explainability, and de-skilling. They use flight simulator experiments and plan to integrate system dynamics modeling to analyze these aspects over time. Additionally, it was explored how system requirements, safety assessments, and pilot training must evolve to maintain system safety in AI-assisted aviation. The results of this research will also contribute to standardization efforts and help shape regulatory guidelines for AI certification in aviation. This talk will present insights from the recent experimental findings, discuss challenges in AI trust and authority allocation, and highlight the broader implications of our research for the future of AI-enabled flight operations.
✈️ 💻 🎧
This is a WebEx talk to which everyone who is interested is cordially invited. It will take place in English. The moderator and IRIS speaker, Jun.-Prof. Dr. Maria Wirzberger Wirzberger, will moderate it. Following Zamira Daw's presentation, there will be an opportunity to ask questions. We look forward to active participation.
✈️ 💻 🎧
Please follow this link to join the talk:
https://lnkd.in/eU54Cw_h

#humanAIinteraction #AI #humanAIteaming #HAITICS #AIassistedaviation #pilotAIcollaboration

📢We are pleased to share this call 📢

Our research group leader, Agnieszka Faleńska (IRIS3D Universität Stuttgart) and Mark Wittek (Central European University) are organizing this conference:

🎺Join in May 2025 for this conference on "Measuring Culture with Computational Methods" that Agnieszka Faleńska and Mark Wittek are organizing at the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences.

The conference will include two amazing keynotes by Neha Gondal and Omar Lizardo, and participants will have the opportunity to present ongoing or finished research projects. Submissions from different disciplinary backgrounds are welcome and on various topics related to the quantitative study of culture (see call for details).

Food and drinks will be provided, and PhD students without financial support for traveling can approach Agnieszka or Mark upfront, as they have some funds to subsidize travel. There is no conference fee.

Please share the call with others who might be interested.

Abstract (max. 750 words) to wittekm@ceu.edu
Deadline: 01.03.25

Join us for this exciting double bill! We welcome bestselling author Alexander Weinstein ("Saying Goodbye to Yang") to the @Uni_Stuttgart@xn--baw-joa.social for a film screening of "After Yang" on 16 April, and a creative writing workshop on 17 April. All are welcome and it is free to attend.
#alexanderweinstein #afteryang #cyberstories #AInarra

Offensive language is rampant across online platforms. At our latest colloquium, Esra Dönmez explored the challenges large language models (LLMs) face in recognizing and responding to offensive content. Her study revealed that many leading LLMs struggle to correctly identify offensive language. She uncovered that these models often exhibit undesirable behavior patterns, such as erroneous response generation, over-reliance on profanity, and failure to recognize stereotypes. A fascinating look into the limitations and possibilities of AI in detecting online speech!
🤖 #Colloquium #AI #LargeLanguageModels

Our IRIS spokeswoman Jun.-Prof. Maria Wirzberger about AI 🤖

Ms. Wirzberger spoke about AI in a reel for the @Uni_Stuttgart@xn--baw-joa.social digital Advent calendar. The reel was broadcast via various social media channels on December 16, 2024. We would also like to share it here:

#AI
#futurewithAI

Last night, an intriguing event took place at the Evangelical Mörike Gymnasium. Under the guidance of our research group leader, Dr. Thilo Hagendorff, the topic "Ethical Implications of AI-Supported Systems for Learning and Teaching" was explored.
💻 💻 💻
Mörike Gymnasium had invited IRIS to co-host the evening. The event, titled "MöriKI – (What) do we still need to learn?" attracted parents, teachers, students, and other interested individuals. The goal was to discuss Artificial Intelligence's role in educational contexts collectively.
The principal, Mr. Steiner, opened the evening and welcomed the attendees. Initially, visitors saw how AI is already integrated into daily school activities across five classrooms. Various AI assistants and apps, including DeepL and Simpleshow, were demonstrated in use.
💻 💻 💻
Moderated by Leonie Maderstein, a lively discussion ensued. Inspired by Kazuo Ishiguro's book "Klara and the Sun," students debated how AI influences thinking, feeling, and acting. Dr. Hagendorff deepened these considerations in his lecture, highlighting AI's opportunities for educational purposes. He emphasized how AI can transform teaching and learning, with a reduced focus on rote learning and simple tasks.
The subsequent panel discussion provided a platform for an intensive exchange about data protection, the costs of AI tools, and the changing dynamics between teachers and students due to the use of AI. The discussion clarified how AI could influence students' future job market and career choices. It was emphasized that a highly developed AI surpassing human and artificial intelligence could soon become a reality.

We are starting this year with the best wishes to all our followers. All the best for this new year, 2025!

🍀
🍀
🍀

We are kicking of the year with an excellent cooperation with the Evang. Mörike Gymnasium Stuttgart. Our IRIS3D research group leader, Dr. Hagendorff, will lecture there next Tuesday evening, January 14th, on "Ethical implications of AI-supported systems for learning and teaching." The students have given this topic much thought and prepared for it with remarkable commitment. Read more in the attached PDF.

The event language is German, and everyone interested is welcome!

#schuleundKI
#ethikundKI
#AI
#KI
#scienceandschool
#learningandteachingwithAI