Lernende Systeme – Germany’s platform for artificial intelligence

Background and aims

Germany is a pioneer in the field of learning systems and artificial intelligence. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) launched the Plattform Lernende Systeme in order to help develop this field for the benefit of both individuals and society as a whole. Learning systems should improve quality of life, promote good jobs, secure growth and prosperity, and foster sustainability in our economy, transport system and energy supply.

The platform is a forum for dialogue and cooperation that pools the existing expertise in this field in order to help position Germany as a global leader in learning systems technology. Experts from science, industry and civil society work together to promote understanding of how learning systems work and the areas in which they can be used. As well as highlighting their benefits for individuals, society and the economy, they also identify the relevant challenges and policy options. The platform promotes a dialogue between science, industry, government and the public on the technological, legal, ethical, security and social questions associated with the use of learning systems.

The Plattform Lernende Systeme’s work is coordinated by a project office at acatech. A steering committee chaired by Federal Minister Anja Karliczek and former acatech President Karl-Heinz Streibich sets the platform’s strategic direction and determines the issues that it addresses. The core of the platform is formed by seven interdisciplinary, cross-sectoral working groups, in which some 200 experts from science, industry and civil society exchange ideas and draft discussion papers, application scenarios, guidelines and recommendations. Four of the working groups focus on cross-cutting technological, economic and social themes that affect all learning systems applications:

Technological Enablers and Data Science
Future of Work and Human-Machine Interaction
IT Security, Privacy, Legal and Ethical Framework
Innovation, business models and processes

The remaining three working groups investigate specific fields of application for learning systems and develop scenarios outlining how artificial intelligence can be developed and deployed in different areas:

Mobility and Intelligent Transport Systems
Health Care, Medical Technology, Care
Hostile-to-Life Environments

Steering committee members

Anja Karliczek (Co-Vorsitzende)
Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF)
Karl-Heinz Streibich (Co-Vorsitzender)
acatech – Deutsche Akademie der Technikwissenschaften
Regina Ammicht Quinn
Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen
Elmar Degenhart
Continental AG
Hans Dietl
Otto Bock Healthcare Products GmbH
Holger Hanselka
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft
Ralf Klinkenberg
RapidMiner GmbH
Hanna Köpcke
Webdata Solutions GmbH
Reinhard Ploss
Infineon Technologies AG
Tanja Rückert
Robert Bosch GmbH
Frank Riemensperger
Accenture Dienstleistungen GmbH
Wolfgang Wahlster
Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Künstliche Intelligenz (DFKI)