This year’s For..Net Symposium will take place on 20 and 21 April. In advance, we spoke to the initiator and member of bidt’s Board of Directors, Professor Dirk Heckmann. In this short interview, he explains why data use is so relevant for medicine, administration and justice and what opportunities the use of artificial intelligence and extended reality opens up for these areas. He also introduces the nominees of this year’s For..Net Media Award.
What can interested parties look forward to at this year’s For..Net Symposium?
The 17th For..Net Symposium, as an on-site event for the first time in four years, has many highlights. Although all of our speakers are among the top representatives of their field, I would like to highlight three people: I am looking forward to the keynotes by Professor Alena Buyx, Chair of the German Ethics Council, and Stefan Vilsmeier, founder and CEO of Brainlab AG, a world leader in the field of medical technology. Nicole Formica-Schiller, an internationally renowned AI expert from Switzerland, will also inspire the audience. We expect live music from one of the world’s rare Chapman-Sticks duos on the gala evening.
Why is data use so relevant for medicine, administration and justice?
A modern healthcare system and the modernisation of the state are elementary prerequisites for overcoming challenges such as pandemics and natural disasters, but also demographic change or the erosion of democracies through disinformation. The expert programme shows that extensive use of data is compatible with data protection.
What possibilities does using artificial intelligence and extended reality open up for these areas?
The hype around ChatGPT shows what can arise today when AI systems are trained with a lot of data. Combined with XR systems, the real world is enriched by knowledge aggregated in real time from customised databases. In healthcare, this can open up new avenues for diagnostics and treatments. In digital administration and digital justice, legal implementation processes can be fully or partially automated, which provides relief in the face of mass proceedings and a shortage of skilled workers.
The hype around ChatGPT shows what can emerge today when AI systems are trained with lots of data. Combined with XR systems, the real world is enriched by knowledge aggregated in real time from customised databases.
Prof. Dr. Dirk Heckmann To the profile
This year, the For..Net Media Award will also be presented at the event. Who are the nominees?
The nominees are Dr Dorit Bosch, Deputy Head of Division at the Federal Ministry of the Interior, for her podcast “Let’s Staat” and Su Reiter, entrepreneur, for her activities on LinkedIn to make the law understandable to non-lawyers through visualisation. Both nominees are committed to the common good in their media formats for the digital society. As in previous years, the prize sponsor for the For..Net Media Award is Hubert Burda Media. The 4th For..Net Media Award will go to the nominee who wins over the majority of the audience at the For..Net Symposium.
Thank you very much for the interview!
The interview was conducted by Nadine Hildebrandt.
