Explainable AI – Explanations in AI
We are excited to announce the second c:o/re workshop, “Explainable AI – Explanations in AI”, organized by Markus Pantsar and Frederik Stjernfelt. It will take place on the 2nd and 3rd of February.
Abstract
One important challenge in machine learning is the “black box” problem, in which an
artificial intelligence reaches a result without any humans being able to explain why.
This problem is typically present in deep artificial neural networks, in which the hidden
layers are impenetrable. To tackle this problem, researchers have introduced the notion
of explainable AI (XAI). In this workshop we discuss a variety of approaches to this topic in connection to fundamental questions in artificial intelligence. What are explanations in AI? What do AI systems explain and how? How does AI explanation relate to the topics of human understanding and intelligence?
For information on the program and participating, please see the links below.
“Only the Initiates Will Have the Secrets Revealed”
Tune in for the next talk in our Lecture Series “Cultures of Research – Digitalization of Research“. On Wednesday, January 26th, Alexandre Hocquet (Fellow c:o/re Aachen, Archives Henri Poincaré) will talk about the Politics and Materialities of Open Science.
The talk focuses on software in science and its diversity of entanglements with openness. Software has been “eating” the world, and science is no exception. From Excel to complex “big” scientific instruments, via Photoshop or molecular modelling software suites, the vast majority of software used in science is not open, and a vast majority has nothing to do with computer science. When software is open, it is very often naively represented as a solution to all issues in science, especially reproducibility. Yet, even open software is full of epistemic issues, from governance to consistency, and the consequences of its influence on the rest of open science are often misunderstood, especially regarding licensing policies.
c:o/re panel @ EASST 2022
The c:o/re Team will be chairing a panel at the EASST conference “Politics of Technoscientific Futures” in Madrid, July 6 to 9, 2022. Our panel “Making Media Futures” focuses on the role of different media in making and disseminating scientific imaginaries of the future and on their variations according to their interactions with different communities and contexts. If you want to contribute to our panel, send us an abstract with your ideas through the conference website form. The full call for abstracts can be found here. The deadline is February 1st, 2022, has been extended to February 7th. Looking forward to seeing you in Madrid!
Talk by Professor Frederik Stjernfelt @ Institute of English Studies (RWTH Aachen)
Co-localization as the Elementary Syntax of Generalized Propositions
On Monday, November 15th, at 16:30, Professor Frederik Stjernfelt will give a talk (online) in the Colloquium of the Institute of English Studies. Entitled “Co-localization as the Elementary Syntax of Generalized Propositions”, the talk will explore uses of a specific notion of proposition coming from Charles S. Peirce’s semiotics in linguistics and literary studies, broadly. Particularly, Professor Stjernfelt will focus on the notion of co-localization as an elementary requisite of syntax. If you are interested to attend, please contact us.
Officially started with a view
Yesterday, on November 10th, our Käte Hamburger Kolleg officially welcomed this year’s academic fellows at RWTH Aachen University. Against the atmospheric backdrop of the Aachen city view from building Super C, members of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities met with our international fellows for a first get-together and personal exchange. c:o/re’s directors Gabriele Gramelsberger and Stefan Böschen introduced the Center and the individual researchers, and they took the chance to thank those responsible at RWTH Aachen University for their strong support in the — often very challenging – process of kicking-off the first International Center for Advanced Studies at this university. Vice-Rector for Research and Structure, Prof. Dr. Ing. Matthias Wessling, and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Prof. Dr Christine Roll gave two warm and welcoming addresses. They did not only invite the fellows to work and contemplate on their research during their stay in Aachen, but also encouraged them to challenge RWTH Aachen University and the status quo of research infrastructure in Germany to push innovate, answers to yet unsolved questions and pose new questions. We would like to thank all participants to the event for the positive spirit they brought and, also, for the attention they paid to properly respecting the policies meant to restrict the spread of COVID-19.
Fellows Welcome Event
We are holding a Welcoming Event for the Fellows of our Center on Nov. 10th, 2021 at Super C. Vice-Rector for Research and Structure, Prof. Dr. Ing. Matthias Wessling, and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Prof. Dr. Christine Roll, will give a welcome address.
