What is IRIS all about?
The Interchange Forum for Reflecting on Intelligent Systems (IRIS) is a place where people can discuss, learn about, and think critically about how intelligent systems affect our society.
IRIS is a unique platform because it has a special purpose at the University of Stuttgart. It creates a space for research by experts from many fields. It offeres courses to support students and teachers. And it wants to offer chances for the public to get in contact with research and researches. Within these three areas, IRSI looks at how intelligent systems (AI) affect our society in politics, literature, machine learning, economics, and education.
Three IRIS research groups - called IRIS3D - and other IRIS researchers are working on many different projects on a wide variety of topics. A few projects are also collaborations with our friends at SimTech. IRIS has many members from all across the University of Stuttgart. Some IRIS members also have research projects, and others organize IRIS events for the public.
- What do intelligent systems do to society?
- How can we stop intelligent systems (AI) from being unfair or mean to people when making decisions?
- How can we use schools and teaching to help people understand smart systems better?
- How can we help teachers inform students about AI?
- How can we make sure the decisions made by intelligent systems are understandable and fair?
Digital technology now impacts everyone and is a part of our daily lives. At the University of Stuttgart, we want to make our students aware of this and help them get ready for the future. We aim to expand their knowledge and encourage them to think in new ways. This will help them achieve their goals in their future careers and create a new, inclusive culture of togetherness, mindfulness, and respect.
IRIS looks closely at intelligent systems, how they work, and their impact on society. Since these systems can greatly change our world, IRIS also wants to start public conversations about them and how they affect us today and in the future. We create opportunities for people to learn and talk about these topics by organizing events and discussions. This helps to share knowledge and encourage discussions between scientists and the public.
Democracies can be in danger from intelligent systems because these systems can make decisions or spread information that affects people. For example, false or misleading information can change people's opinions and actions. If intelligent systems are programmed unfairly, they can make decisions that harm certain groups of people. This can weaken people's trust in the system and democracy. Intelligent systems can also be used to influence voters through targeted ads or false information, which can affect election results and weaken democracy.
IRIS is a special program different from other university programs. It attracts many people, offers many ways to get involved, and works with important international partners from business, science, and society. These partners include Cyber Valley and the German Literature Archive Marbach. This mix of different areas is what makes IRIS really special!