Latest Activities
Latest Activities
Field Research in Paris
April 04, 2024
Together with Jens Schröter, Andreas Sudmann conducted ethnographic research in Paris this week. In addition to the AI-related activities of the Laboratoire d’Océanographie et du Climat, the work of SCAI is once again the focus of the field research.
Artificial Intelligence and Architecture
Stockholm, March 20, 2024
At the conference Critical Architectural Intelligence: AI and Digitalization in the Present and Future of Architecture, Society, and the Environment Andreas Sudmann gave a keynote on „The Democratization of Artificial Intelligence. A Critique.“ at KTH Royal Institute of Technology.
You can watch the speech online
AI in Climate Research
March 15, 2024
Andreas Sudmann has written an article in the German tech magacine c’t about how AI methods are changing climate research and weather forecasting.
Ethnographic studies: AI in film studies
Zurich, February, 2024
In February, Andreas Sudmann continued his ethnographic studies in Zurich. The focus this time: AI in film studies. Here are some impressions from his stay:
New project on AI in science at the University of Tübingen
Tübingen, 2024-2026
A new research project on AI in the sciences has been approved at the University of Tübingen. Congratulations to Christoph Bareither and his colleagues.
More information on the project.
This project explores the transformative impact of generative artificial intelligence, such as OpenAI’s GPT models, within the qualitative social sciences and humanities at the University of Tübingen. From an ethnographic perspective, it seeks to understand how students and academic staff are becoming early adopters of generative AI, how this technology is being integrated into hybrid epistemic practices, and its broader impact in academic assemblages. The ultimate goal is to lay a foundation for the development of critical AI literacy in order to help students, researchers, and academic stakeholders make more informed decisions in the context of generative AI.
Our new project publication is finally out!
November 22, 2023
Our book Beyond Quantity has finally been published by transcript, edited by Andreas Sudmann, Anna Echterhölter, Markus Ramsauer, Fabian Retkoswki, Jens Schröter & Alexander Waibel.
How do artificial neural networks and other forms of artificial intelligence interfere with methods and practices in the sciences? Which interdisciplinary epistemological challenges arise when we think about the use of AI beyond its dependency on big data? Not only the natural sciences, but also the social sciences and the humanities seem to be increasingly affected by current approaches of subsymbolic AI, which masters problems of quality (fuzziness, uncertainty) in a hitherto unknown way. But what are the conditions, implications, and effects of these (potential) epistemic transformations and how must research on AI be configured to address them adequately?
Challenges of AI for philosophy
Duke/NC, November 15, 2023
Andreas Sudmann was again at Duke University to discuss with Luciana Parisi and Mark Hansen the role of AI in the sciences, and specifically some challenges of AI for philosophy and media philosophy.
Handbook participation
November 14, 2023
The Handbook of Critical Studies of Artifical Intelligence is finally published, including an essay on AI ethnography by Anne Dippel and Andreas Sudmann!
Their chapter addresses the conceptual, historical, and theoretical-methodological dimensions of the transdisciplinary research field of AI ethnography. Beyond discussing early and more recent studies that illustrate the possibilities of the relationship between AI and ethnography, Dippel and Sudmann also shed light on the contribution of AI ethnography to critical AI studies.
AI in education
Pembroke, November 14, 2023
Andreas Sudmann met with computer scientist Joong-Lyul Lee at the University of Pembroke to discuss, among other things, the special features of AI research at a university that focuses on teaching.
Discussion about social robots
Duke/NC, November 13, 2023
As part of his field research in North Carolina, Andreas Sudmann spoke today with Pardis Emami-Naeini (Department of Computer Science, Duke University) about the role of social robots and asked her specifically about their scientific applications.
Conference participation
Portland, November 11, 2023
Anna Echterhölter spoke at this year’s annual meeting of the History of Science Society in Portland Oregon. As part of the panel „Categorising Humanity: Papers Tools and the Nascent Human Sciences“, she gave a paper alongside Matthew Eddy, Staffan Müller-Wille, Dan Rosenberg in a panel chaired by Ted Porter. Talk was focussed on procedures of classification and the paper is entitled: „Silent Architects: Negotiating Categories in the German Commission for the Study of Native Law, c. 1907/08“.
AI in neurological research
Pembroke, November, 2023
How can AI methods, especially machine learning methods, support neurological research? As part of his field research in North Carolina, Andreas Sudmann visited Ben Bahr in his lab at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke last week to discuss these and other questions.
AI in climate studies
NC, November, 2023
As part of his media ethnographic field research in North Carolina, Andreas Sudmann is currently examining the work of Kenneth Kunkel and his colleagues at the North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies. An important focus is the research into extreme weather events.
AI in philosophy
Chapel Hill, November 4, 2023
How is AI changing science? Today Andreas Sudmann had a very interesting conversation with Thomas Hofweber about AI in philosophy (among other things) at the UNC-Chapel Hill.
Click here to check out his website!
More discussions about AI in the sciences
Raleigh, November, 2023
Andreas Sudmann had a meeting with Andrew Johnston in Raleigh, NC, to discuss the role of AI in film and media studies.
Here ist Andrew Johnstons website
AI and computer science
Fayetteville, November 1, 2023
As part of his field research in North Carolina, Andreas Sudmann interviewed Sambit Bhattacharya from Fayetteville State University on November 1st and discussed, among other things, the current role of computer science in relation to AI applications in the sciences.
New publication
October 30, 2023
ChatGPT und andere „Quatschmaschinen“ (ChatGPT and other „gossip/chat machines“) has finally been published by transcript, edited by Anna Tuchling, Andreas Sudmann & Bernhard J. Dotzler with contributions from members of the HiAICS-Research Group!
In an experimental format, the editors present initial commented conversations with AI language models. They provide insights into dialogic scenes that capture an ongoing transformation of technology and peculiarities of machine learning. The collection aims, through witty, eerie, and more or less intelligent dialogues between humans and machines, to document a media-historical transition into a new era of ubiquitous AI.
AI in education
Raleigh, October, 2023
In October, Andreas Sudmann visited Collin Lynch at the Department for Computer Science in Raleigh, North Carolina, to discuss the challenges and problems of applied computer science, but also to shed light on interesting perspectives regarding the use of AI in education.
Here is his website, check it out!
Discussion with leading AI experts
NYU, October 14, 2023
As part of his research stay in the USA, Andreas Sudmann was talking to leading AI experts and scientists from various disciplines at NYU this week about how machine learning is changing research practices and methods.
Discussion partners included:
Grace Lindsay, Assistant Professor of Psychology and Data Science (NYU),
Ernest Davies, Dept. of Computer Science,
Arthur Jacot, Assistant Professor, Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences,
Yao Wang, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Biomedical Engineering, Tandon School of Engineering,
Mark E. Tuckerman, Professor of Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics, Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences,
& Vasant Dhar, Professor of Technology, Operations, and Statistics
Interview
Bildung, Falter Verlag, October 4, 2023
Anna Echterhölter gave an interview to „Bildung” the education magazine published by Falter Verlag. She gave an insight into the first results of the research project and summarised the opportunities and problems of using AI in different disciplines.
The full interview, entitled “Zukunft der Wissenschaft. Skepsis in den Disziplinen“ can be found in the latest issue of “Bildung. Das Magazin für Studium, Weiterbildung und Karriere” from 4 October as a supplement to the 40/23 Falter issue.
AI Ethnography
Leeds, September, 2023
Science in action: In September, Andreas Sudmann completed the first part of his media ethnographic field research at the School of Computing in Leeds and observed the work of computer scientist Evangelos Pournaras and his team. Next year, Sudmann will return to Leeds to observe the progress of the projects.
Conference participation
Ingolstadt, September 13-15, 2023
Anna Echterhölter and Markus Ramsauer participated in the annual meeting of the Gesellschaft für Geschichte der Wissenschaften, der Medizin und der Technik (GWTM) with the theme „Mensch-Maschine-Mobilität in der Geschichte von Medizin, Wissenschaft und Technik“.
They held the panel „Informationsmaschinen. Zur Vorgeschichte großer Analysen“ with Sascha Freyberg (MPIWG Berlin) and Rudolf Seising (PI of the Project IGGI: Ingenieur-Geist und Geistes-Ingenieure: Eine Geschichte der Künstlichen Intelligenz in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland).
Consultancy for The Economist
The Economist, September 13, 2023
We consulted with The Economist to help them write an article on AI Science for their Science & Technology Series.
The article, entitled ‚How scientists are using artificial intelligence‘, was published on 13th September 2023 and can be read in full here.
Roundtable participation
Online, September 9, 2023
Große Sprachmodelle und öffentliche Verwaltung: Potentiale, Infrastruktur und Aufsicht (Large language models and public administration: potentials, infrastructure and supervision)
Andreas Sudmann was invited to the online roundtable as an expert, moderated and organized by Christian Djeffal (TU München) and Harald Felling (]init[ AG) and supported by Nationales E-Government Kompetenz Zentrum e.V.
In the context of the digital transformation of public administration, large language models such as GPT-4 offer numerous opportunities to improve efficiency and service quality.
As part of the National E-Government Competence Center (NEGZ), the round table will discuss the complex role of these models in administration and address questions for agenda setting in this area. Various problems will be discussed, such as areas of application for public administration, ways to contribute to the infrastructure of large language models, and regulatory measures.
TV Interview
TV Kanal Vis & nota.mk, August, 2023
Andreas Sudmann was interviewed by a Macedonian broadcaster as part of a journalistic project on fake news, AI, and social media. The aim of the project was to raise awareness of disinformation, and it was supported by the British Embassy.
The contributions were broadcast multiple times on the Macedonian broadcaster TV Kanal Vis and nota.mk in August.
Following you can see one of the videos titled ‚Fighting Disinformation in the Land of Fake News‘:
Interview with Alex Waibel on the Titan accident
Tagesschau, June 22, 2023
In collaboration with researchers from KIT and Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), Alex Waibel has developed a method that enables video conferencing even under extreme conditions, as transmission is possible over very low bandwidths.
In the summer of 2022, he tested this method during a submarine expedition to the wreck of the Titanic at a depth of around 4,000 meters with the Titan submarine, which is known from the accident in June 2023.
Communication with the mother ship at such depths has so far only been possible via text messages using sonar. These were ideal test conditions for Waibel to try out his method. In the submarine a sound recording was first converted into a text message using automatic speech recognition and then transmitted to the mother ship via sonar. AI was then used to create a synthetic reconstruction of the speaker’s voice and video. Despite complications, such as the failure of one of the two sonar devices, some dialog was transmitted.
During a similar expedition to the wreck of the Titanic, contact with the Titan submarine was lost in mid-June 2023. Despite days of searching, the Titan could not be found and the search was finally abandoned as the survival of the occupants had to be ruled out.
Alex Waibel was often interviewed during these days to report on his experiences in the submarine and to give an assessment of the situation. Below you will find an interview with the German Tagesschau.
Interview
Sorbonne, May/June, 2023
In May and June, Andreas Sudmann was at the Sorbonne Center for Artificial Intelligence (SCAI) and at the Laboratoire d’océanographie et du climat : expérimentations et approches numériques (LOCEAN) as part of his AI field research.
Andreas Sudmann would like to thank the following colleagues, among others, for the interesting talks and discussions and for the exciting insights into their work!
Xavier Fresquet, SCAI
Gérard Biau, SCAI
Constantin Bône, LOCEAN
Guillaume Gastineau, LOCEAN
Juliette Mignot, LOCEAN
Julie Deshayes, LOCEAN
Isabelle Bloch, Sorbonne Artificial Intelligence Chair
Kenji Doya, OIST
Valentina Fedchenko, ObTIC
Baptiste Gregorutti, SCAI
Jean Bouvier d’Yvoire, Sorbonne
Workshop collaboration
ZOOM, May 15, 2023
Epistemological potentials: AI, robots and sensors
Workshop of the Working Group Data and Networks of the German Media Studies Association (in German)
Update: Due to strike-related limited public transport on May 15, the workshop was held online via Zoom.
„Edge AI“ is the name of a technical approach that is currently trending across domains: Implementing AI, more precisely: data-driven and adaptive systems, in a decentralised manner, for example in robots and sensors, independent of a continuous connection to a cloud.
Indeed, it cannot be ignored that the epistemic context of robots, sensors and AI is becoming increasingly important for thinking about the socio-technical conditions of digital cultures in the 21st century. Accordingly, it represents an extraordinary challenge for media studies of science and technology – not only for a history of the present as a media-historical and media-theoretical project, but for transdisciplinary efforts to reflect on its methodological and empirical complexity in general.
The workshop is a cooperation of the HiAICS research group, the Institute of Media Studies at the Ruhr University Bochum, and the Collaborative Research Centre „Virtual Living Environments“ (SFB 1567).
More information on the event and schedule
Interview
Deutschlandfunk Kultur, May 4, 2023
As part of a radio feature on the uses of artificial intelligence in the sciences, Andreas Sudmann gave an interview to German public broadcaster Deutschlandfunk Kultur.
The full feature under the title „Wissenschaft – KI hilft Forschenden, Theorien zu entwickeln“ („Science – AI helps scientists to develop theories“) can be found online.
Listen to the radio feature on Deutschlandfunk Kultur’s website
Online workshop
ZOOM, April 24, 2023
Second online workshop of the ai\research\explorations workshop series on the topic of „Sequence Models and the Scientific Field“.
Download the full schedule here
