A future-oriented program with profound depth

During this intensive week, 20 AI Grid members, 20 students from Sorbonne Universität Sorbonne University, and 10 professors from Germany and France came together to discuss key questions about emotional AI. Under the motto ‘How can emotionally intelligent AI transform society?’ topics such as emotion recognition in AI, affective computing, and human-AI interaction were examined in depth.

However, the event was more than just an academic gathering—it became a space for lively exchange about the future of artificial intelligence and its social implications. In an atmosphere of curiosity and thirst for knowledge, participants worked together on innovative approaches, with a particular focus on the ethical implications of emotional AI: How is this technology changing our social interactions, our trust, and our understanding of intelligence? Each lecture and workshop offered the opportunity to gain new perspectives and develop creative ideas.

Interdisciplinary collaboration

As part of the program, participants also had the opportunity to visit renowned research institutions in Paris and gain practical insights into the interdisciplinary world of artificial intelligence. The visit to ISIR (Institut des Systèmes Intelligents et de Robotique) was particularly exciting. There, the group immersed themselves in the world of robotics and intelligent systems and deepened their knowledge of the physical implementation of AI.

Further stops took them to the ICM (Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière), where the focus was on the fascinating connection between neuroscience and artificial intelligence. Here, participants gained insights into current research approaches that link neural processes and machine learning.

Another particular highlight was the visit to IRCAM (Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique), which shed light on the connection between AI and music. These excursions perfectly complemented the theoretical discussions at the Spring School and gave participants the opportunity to learn directly from leading experts and experience the diverse interdisciplinary perspectives of AI research first-hand.

German-French exchange in AI research & publication of a white paper

The AI Grid Spring School 2025 focused on German-French exchange in artificial intelligence. Working in interdisciplinary teams, participants discussed key topics such as ethics, cultural differences and the rise of emotional AI in a creative World Café format. These diverse perspectives led to a deeper understanding of the social opportunities and challenges of emotional artificial intelligence.

The crowning achievement of this intensive collaboration was the joint publication of the white papers ‘Feeling Machines: Ethics, Culture, and the Rise of Emotional AI’, which is now available to the public and formulates concrete recommendations for dealing with emotional AI. For many participants, the Spring School was not only an enriching experience, but also the starting point for future German-French research initiatives.