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BrainLinks-BrainTools
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Baden-Württemberg’s Minister of Science Petra Olschowski visits the University of Freiburg.

Petra Olschowski, Minister of Science, Research, and the Arts, discussed the university’s strategic development during her visit to the University of Freiburg. As part of the visit, Rector Kerstin Krieglstein took the minister on a themed tour during which researchers, teachers, and students presented key future topics at the University of Freiburg to the minister. The focus was on issues that will shape the direction of research and teaching in the coming years. During their tour, they also visited the Carl Zeiss Foundation-funded project Responsible and Scalable Learning for Robots Assisting Humans (ReScaLe), where the minister was given the opportunity to train a robot arm herself to make her coffee in the future.

Responsible AI and robotics

Minister discussing with researchers

Prof. Dr. Silja Vöneky, director of the Department of Public International Law, Comparative Law and Ethics of Law and Prof. Dr. Joschka Boedecker, head of the Neurorobotics Lab and member of BrainLinks-BrainTools are working with colleagues from the fields of law, computer science, medicine, and philosophy in the Responsible Artificial Intelligence network to explore how artificial intelligence can be developed, regulated, and used in a responsible and adaptive manner. Prof. Boedecker, as coordinator of the project illustrated the research by a robot demonstration from the ReScaLe project, among other things: The robot showed in a practical way how AI-controlled systems can support people in everyday life. The interdisciplinary work focuses on providing technological innovation with appropriate guidelines, thus making it usable for society.

“Universities that excel at research and innovation are of paramount importance for our society. They play an instrumental role in seeking answers to the big questions of today and tomorrow. The University of Freiburg is an outstanding example of this – a beacon in our strong research landscape in Baden-Württemberg,” said Petra Olschowski, Minister of Science, Research, and the Arts.

Read the original article about the minister’s visit to the University of Freiburg on the Central News Pages .

Responsible and Scalable Learning for Robots assisting Humans – ReScaLe

ReScaLe investigates advanced training methodologies for artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled robotic systems. Such systems hold significant potential to contribute to a broad range of societal functions — from providing assistance in daily life to optimising industrial production processes. Despite considerable recent progress in robotics and AI research, their integration into everyday contexts remains limited. ReScaLe seeks to bridge this gap through a dual focus. On the technical side, the project addresses key challenges in machine learning that currently restrict the applicability of autonomous robotic systems. In parallel, it systematically analyses the social, ethical, and legal dimensions of robotics in order to promote public trust and societal acceptance.

Contact: Prof. Joschka Bödecker (Project Coordinator) jboedeck@informatik.uni-freiburg.de
Learn more about ReScaLe