PROF. DR. rer. nat. DR. h.c. mult. WOLFGANG WAHLSTER ist Vorsitzender des Präsidiums und Initiator des AI Grid, Professor für Informatik und CEA des Deutschen Forschungszentrums für Künstliche Intelligenz (DFKI)

Committed specialists with a passion for AI

We need considerably more specialists in artificial intelligence in Germany. This has been a trend for several years, but the situation is currently becoming more acute due to the boom in AI. The IT skills shortage consists of over 100,000 positions that cannot be filled. We therefore need to activate all talents across the board and not just in cutting-edge research. Our clear goal is to qualify more people for the diverse tasks in AI in less time. 

Talent for research and industry - interdisciplinarity is in demand

With the AI Grid, we want to activate as many talents as possible and train a new generation of researchers and AI developers who will not only teach or conduct research at universities, but also put AI technologies into practice in industry and all other relevant sectors of the economy. AI thrives on interdisciplinarity and domain knowledge in the diverse areas of application. Of course, its success is largely based on computer science. But if you want to be successful in one area of application, you also have to be able to speak the language of medicine, agriculture or the energy industry, for example. You have to be prepared to familiarize yourself with topics outside of core computer science and AI in order to successfully apply AI methods there. But that works very well in the AI Grid. I was delighted with our current members - they all brought this mentality with them.

Mentoring from renowned professors for optimal performance

At the same time, we want to lead every member of the AI ​​Grid to their optimum performance. To this end, we have established a mentor program in the AI ​​Grid that provides students with additional support. These are renowned professors who are in addition to the official supervision of a doctoral supervisor. They can give our members tips by helping with specific questions in their specialist area, making literature suggestions, pointing out important conferences and introducing them to their professional network. This goes beyond the normal support at universities. Of course, we do not replace these, but offer additional support with the AI ​​Grid.

AI Grid fills a gap: AI at a quality-tested level

To date, Germany has lacked an open network specifically for talent in artificial intelligence that supports master's and doctoral students. We at the AI ​​Grid are now focusing on AI at a quality-tested level. In order to bring many people to our platform, I use my own established professional networks. I was President of the World Association for AI (IJCAII), the European Association (EurAI) and the German Association (GI-FB KI). I know the players because I have been working in international AI science for 45 years. The vision for the AI ​​Grid was created together with the BMBF – the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. It all started with an idea from Ms. Ute Bernhardt, head of the Artificial Intelligence Department at the BMBF, which I took up, fleshed out and implemented with our AI Grid team under the leadership of Ms. Poirson and with financial support from the BMBF.

AI requires a very high level of personal commitment

By 2025 we want to have supported around 250 people in the AI ​​Grid. We want to make a significant contribution to establishing Germany in the field of AI so that we can attract enough committed talent for this work. Artificial intelligence is very challenging in terms of both content and time. You have to be passionate about it and invest a lot of time learning and working in AI. We have had good experiences so far; Our members are consistently very committed. And we need that in Germany to further strengthen our strengths in AI. Because we play in the Champions League in artificial intelligence and Europe plays a leading role in basic AI research worldwide. The press often misrepresents this when it speaks of China and the USA as absolute leaders. If you look at the hard facts, we are doing well in many important areas such as industrial AI. 

Medium-sized businesses and Industry 4.0 – Germany is a strong AI location

Germany is a production location, our economic engine is industry and therefore industrial AI. In addition to large companies, medium-sized businesses in particular are the backbone of the economy in Germany. We have to bring these companies further forward in the digitalization wave through AI. 

We developed the Industry 4.0 concept in Germany. I coined this term with my colleagues Kagermann and Lukas in 2010 and it has become established worldwide, in the USA, as well as in China and Korea. Industry 4.0 cannot be achieved without AI. We need cognitive robots that work hand in hand with humans

can. We need digital twins, i.e. virtual images of devices and processes in the factory. We need intuitive human-machine interfaces to offer workers the necessary assistance in adaptable factories. All of this is industrial AI and we are leaders there. Germany is the Mecca for Koreans, Chinese, Japanese and Americans who are looking at Industry 4.0 here and trying to adapt it for their purposes. The AI ​​Grid was planned as a bottom-up organization from the beginning and we give the students every freedom. But they should pay attention to where they have a chance in Germany, for example in industrial AI. In the AI ​​Grid we support you in this. 

Career springboard AI Grid: ICSI/USA and NII/Japan

I was just in the US and Japan and arranged for the AI ​​Grid to set up an exchange with the International Computer Science Institute (ICSI) in Berkeley, a top AI university. After completing their doctorate, our AI Grid members can now apply for a DAAD scholarship in the BMBF's IFI program in order to complete a stay abroad. The same applies to Japan with the National Institute for Informatics (NII) in Tokyo. These are of course excellent career springboards.