New contact point for founders, start-ups and SMEs to apply and develop AI products / Wissing: “We want to promote the development of trustworthy AI from Germany”
On Friday, July 19, 2024, Federal Minister of Digital Affairs Dr. Volker Wissing and Rhineland-Palatinate Minister of Economic Affairs Daniela Schmitt opened a new Center for Artificial Intelligence (AI) at the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) in Kaiserslautern. The AI Innovation and Quality Center is part of the “MISSION KI” initiative and the first of two planned centers in Germany with which the federal government is promoting the use of trustworthy AI.
Federal Minister Dr. Volker Wissing:
“With the AI Center in Kaiserslautern, we are creating a bridge between research and practical application. Innovative ideas can be developed here and AI applications can be subjected to a quality check. Companies receive concrete help to assess the risks of AI at an early stage – also with regard to EU requirements. In this way, we want to promote the development of trustworthy AI “Made-in-Germany” and support German companies. With its dynamic AI and biotech scene, Rhineland-Palatinate is the ideal location. This center will not only drive innovation, but also help to ensure that Germany remains a leader in this future technology.”
Minister of State Daniela Schmitt:
“Kaiserslautern, with the DFKI, is the central location for artificial intelligence in Germany. It makes sense and I am particularly pleased that Rhineland-Palatinate will now be home to one of two new AI centers funded by the federal government. Our medium-sized companies in the state will particularly benefit from the transfer of knowledge and the development of corresponding applications. By networking business and science, we are laying the foundations for a flourishing AI ecosystem in Rhineland-Palatinate.”
The AI Center of MISSION KI is jointly operated by acatech – the German Academy of Science and Engineering and the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI). A particular focus is on the development of test procedures for AI applications in order to strengthen trust in this technology. Advice and future testing support are supplemented by workshops to build expertise, transfer knowledge and strengthen the regional AI community.
Focus on AI in the healthcare sector
The new center will initially focus on the use of AI in the healthcare sector – also due to the strong presence of companies and research institutions from the medical, pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors in the region. DFKI will develop tools to assess the quality of medical AI systems and improve them, starting at an early stage of the development process and taking into account the specific requirements of healthcare or high-risk applications. Testing will be based on specific use cases, such as skin cancer detection or safe intubation. In addition, quality and testing standards developed by MISSION KI will be applied.
Prof. Dr. Andreas Dengel, Managing Director of DFKI in Kaiserslautern:
“Locating the Innovation and Quality Center at DFKI allows us to leverage existing structures and create valuable synergies through the broad expertise of our research departments and extensive networks in the field of trustworthy AI. As a research partner to companies in a wide range of industries, we are aware of the particular challenges associated with the development of marketable AI applications in terms of safety, reliability and ethical acceptability. With the Innovation and Quality Center, we therefore want to create a point of contact for start-ups, SMEs and large companies to offer them access to cutting-edge AI research.”
However, the center is not limited to the medical field, but is open to innovators from all sectors. The establishment of the AI center in Kaiserslautern is part of MISSION KI – a broader initiative to promote AI development in Germany. With a total budget of 32 million euros, financed by the Federal Ministry of Digital Affairs, MISSION KI aims to strengthen Germany as a location for innovation and promote the competitiveness of German companies in the field of AI. A second center is to be established in Berlin by the end of the year.
Manfred Rauhmeier, Managing Director of acatech:
“We are pursuing a clear goal with MISSION KI: to make the testing of AI applications as practicable as possible for companies while ensuring safety and transparency. In doing so, we are creating the conditions for fully exploiting the immense potential of AI for our economy and society. Germany should not only play a pioneering role in AI research, but also in its practical application.”
