Dorothea Baur

TedX speech: All eyes are set on the potential AI holds for monitoring and fighting crises like the COVID-19 pandemic; it epitomizes how AI has become the most promising liberation that frees us from having to resolve complex problems ourselves. Because AI can detect patterns that we cannot see, we are prone to delegate our decisions to AI. But how can we be free when we delegate key decisions? Even more so, when we delegate them to algorithms that are effectively black boxes? We used to say ‘The ways of the Lord are inscrutable’, but the ways of the algorithms are equally inscrutable. If we want to keep our freedom, we need to remain in charge. Tech is our servant. We are the masters."

Speech in front of industry leaders, on behalf of an investment promotion agency: "Artificial intelligence with common sense. The title is irritating. Or at least it should irritate. Because either we are talking about artificial intelligence or we are talking about human intelligence, aren't we? Artificial intelligence with human understanding is therefore a contradiction in terms, and also not desirable. After all, the very purpose of AI is to overcome human understanding."

Speech at CYBATHLON 2020 Global Edition: We live in times of rapid technological progress, which is associated with many hopes but also concerns. The technology we develop is becoming increasingly complex. This increase in complexity is also reflected concretely in technologies designed to make life easier for people with disabilities. But how do we make sure that, given the insane pace, we still take enough time to ask ourselves where we are dealing with 'real progress' and where we might be overshooting the mark in our obsession with progress? And most importantly, how do we ensure that these technologies are developed effectively for the people who need them, and that they get to the people who need them? And how do we ensure that the use of technologies is always the free choice of an individual?