AI is developing rapidly, but European companies rarely play in the top league. That is the assessment of Prof. Gerard de Melo, AI expert at the Hasso Plattner Institute in Potsdam and host of the AI@HPI Conference. He has been researching AI for years and observing progress in the field. However, Europe is often dependent on companies from other regions. That has to change: Europe and Germany need digital sovereignty.
The AI@HPI Conference on December 2-4 at the Hasso Plattner Institute, entitled "Shaping AI Sovereignty," will address the question of how this can be achieved.
Over three days, experts from science, business, and politics will gather at the institute in Potsdam to provide input and exchange ideas: Why is Europe often still lagging behind in this field, and how can we promote the development and training of our own frontier models? What do competitive AI infrastructures and successful startup incubators look like? And how can we make optimal use of our AI service centers?
Conference host Prof. Gerard de Melo says: "AI, which shapes our lives, should be guided by fundamental human values. However, without technological sovereignty, this is difficult to achieve. We are currently seeing how large tech companies from the US are trying to use political tailwinds to undermine European regulations. It is important that we build our resilience to potential risks and create the framework conditions for the sensible use of AI."
Confirmed conference speakers include:
- Dr. Karsten Wildberger, Federal Minister for Digital and Public Administration
- Prof. Dr. Holger Hoos, Alexander von Humboldt Professor of AI, RWTH Aachen University; Professor of Machine Learning at Leiden University; Chairman of CAIRNE (Confederation of Laboratories for Artificial Intelligence Research in Europe)
- Mei Lin Fung, Vice Chair of the UN AI for Good Impact Steering Committee, Chair of the Technical Committee on Sustainability, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
- Verena Pausder, Chair of the German Startups Association
- Dr. Benjamin Grimm, Minister of Justice and Digitalization of the State of Brandenburg
- Prof. Dr. Richard David Precht, philosopher and author
- Robin Rombach, co-founder and CEO of Black Forest Labs GmbH
- Prof. Dr. Maja Göpel, political economist, transformation researcher, and sustainability expert
The German AI Service Centers are also part of the conference. Under the title Conference of the German AI Service Centers, they will present a variety of projects that already demonstrate how sovereign AI is becoming a reality.
The AI@HPI Conference 2025 is aimed at professionals from all fields who work with artificial intelligence, as well as anyone interested in the ethical and social dimensions of the technology. More information about the program and tickets for the event can be found here.
Press accreditation is required for interested media representatives. Please register by email via: presse@hpi.de
AI@HPI Conference 2025
When: December 2-4, starting at 9:00 a.m.
Where: Hasso Plattner Institute (HPI), Prof.-Dr.-Helmert-Straße 2-3, 14482 Potsdam
Event language: English
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Contact persons
Joana Bußmann
Team Lead Editorial / Science Communication
Phone: +49 331 5509-375
Mail: presse@hpi.de
