Robots and algorithms, data and metaverse – these seem to be what the future is made of. While programmers and data scientists build the fundament of a data dominated world, the discussion of ethical and ecological impacts for society and economy often only come in second. We, the editors of this proceeding, think that both, innovation and impact should both be well considered in parallel. Therefore, the scientific community should always keep a holistic view on AI which includes trying to anticipate possible outcomes and consider the impact of AI for the way we live, we work and communicate. With our very first AI Tomorrow conference, we wanted to create a space, where scientists from different fields can come together and discuss their ideas for the future of AI.
The first working conference on Artificial Intelligence Development for a Resilient and Sustainable Tomorrow (www.ai-tomorrow.org/) took place from 29th to 30th of June 2023. Its aim was to bring together scientists from various fields that focus on more than the technological aspects of AI development. We wanted to shed light on the opportunities and challenges of AI with regard to resilience and sustainability of business models, societies and the environment.
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Digital innovations change the way in which societies work. On the one hand, the increasing amount of digital devices and their performance capacity bring new opportunities to all aspects of our live, e.g. in terms of travel planning due to smart route planning and ticket booking, the reduction of red tape, e.g. through digital identity cards, and or even inclusion processes, e.g. through text-to-speech applications or semi-automated translation or summarizing of texts. Likewise, the increasing number of AI-based tools and methodologies change the world of businesses. This includes improved knowledge access, more extensive product development and the creation of new business areas. The speed in which processes and technologies change is challenging for all. Companies all over the world must adapt to the rapid development, which requires a multidisciplinary approach to digital transformation to remain competitive.
One particular focus of our conference is on small and medium-sizes companies (SME). In Germany, SME have a major impact on the economy. In fact, the share of SMEs in Germany was 99.4 percent in 2019.1 They account for the majority of all apprenticeships, making them one of the main drivers of competence development.2 While large companies have the financial abilities to hire change manager and invest in consulting and training, SMEs struggle to keep up with the speed of the technological development because they simply don’t have the financial and personal resources for adaption. To compete with larger businesses in terms of affordable prices and high-quality products, SMEs need to adapt to new digital innovations. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) – one of the key technologies of digitalization – can have a significant impact on business success and is increasingly becoming a game changer for SMEs. In contrast, Accenture’s 2022 study3 shows that only twelve percent of companies consider their AI maturity level as high enough to use it to grow and transform their business, while 63 percent are still in the experimental phase of adopting AI in the enterprise.
In addition to the challenges of digital transformation, current developments and crises such as EU AI regulations, disrupted supply chains, skilled workers shortage and climate change, have broadened the focus and question the effects and opportunities of digitization with a view to the next evolutionary step in the development of Industry 4.0, namely Industry 5.0. In a 2021 policy brief, the European Commission describes Industry 5.0 as “more future-proof, resilient, sustainable, and people-centric”.4 While Industry 4.0 increases resilience and “the positive impact on the ecological and economic dimensions seems to be fairly widespread”, the social dimension, especially human-centric approaches and measures, may still be underestimated. People or human-centric approaches are therefore the main driver and innovation factor for Industry 5.0. A human-centered approach to digital transformation means focusing on people’s needs and interests rather than viewing technology as the sole actor.
With this focus on human-centred approaches in AI development; a multidimensional value discussion about impacts and sustainability of AI; measurements for AI values; concrete use cases of AI development (in SME) the AI Tomorrow Conference brings experts from various fields together. It is the goal of the conference and our hope to foster an interdisciplinary dialogue and identify opportunities for collaboration and advancement in the responsible development and deployment of AI.
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The findings of the articles in this proceeding have been presented at the 1st Conference on Artificial Intelligence Development for a Resilient and Sustainable Tomorrow (AI Tomorrow) which was hold an 29th and 30th of June 2023 in Leipzig. A special thanks go to the session chairs, Dr. Sandra Schumann, Anja Brückner, Dr. Amit Kirschenbaum and Jasmin Mayan. Their support in form of moderation and organization of their sessions was a crucial factor in making the 1st AI Tomorrow Conference a success.
Except for the positioning paper which sums up the first conference keynote, given by Dr. Christian Zinke-Wehlmann, the articles in the proceedings have been peer reviewed by the members of the scientific board in a double-blind review process.
Leipzig, Germany
28.08.2023
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