Ms Sinemus, why does a state like Hessen need an agenda for artificial intelligence (AI)? Don't we stand a chance against China or the big American Internet companies anyway?
Ewald Hetrodt
Correspondent for the Rhein-Main-Zeitung in Wiesbaden.
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Carsten Knop
Editor.
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No, we are not!
We have to position ourselves as European competitors, and that's only possible if Hessen, together with the federal government and Europe, differentiates itself from China and America.
And how will that work?
When we combine our innovative strength with our values and develop artificial intelligence responsibly and in compliance with data protection.
In Hessen, for example, we have an outstanding position in AI research competence, an ecosystem with great future potential and AI-capable computing infrastructure.
In addition, a medium-sized company that widely uses and develops AI-based applications, and innovative large companies and creative start-ups.
Almost a third of all German data center capacities are located in Hesse, with DE-CIX being the world's largest data hub in Frankfurt.
We use all these capacities to further strengthen our strengths in the three innovation fields of our AI agenda: finance, health and mobility.
Aren't you just bundling initiatives that already exist in Hesse anyway?
We not only bundle the initiatives, but use them as a basis for thinking about the future, firstly by launching new projects, secondly by networking existing projects and thirdly by efficiently merging resources through the possibility of budget control.
Are there any examples?
A new example is the investment in AI hardware and another the "AI Quality & Testing Hub", which will pursue the goal of promoting the quality of AI systems and making it verifiable.
Together with our partners, the VDE and the TÜV association, we are currently preparing the founding of the hub, which will take place later this year.
What does it mean when it says that "CERN for AI" should be found in Hesse?
In our think tank, we were certified that we in Hesse have the potential to become a "CERN for AI", i.e. to create a European research center with an application orientation that thinks and develops AI as a European model for the future.
This includes various building blocks such as the Hessian Center for Artificial Intelligence "hessian.AI", which we initiated together with the leading Ministry of Science and the Ministry of Economics, the Center for Applied Quantum Computing that is currently being set up, which we are promoting together with the Ministry of Science, but also our own investment in an AI innovation lab.
The computing infrastructure can be used, for example, by start-ups and medium-sized companies to develop and test new AI algorithms.
. . . a data center is also included?
Yes, our AI innovation lab provides AI-specific computing infrastructure capable of simulating large neural networks, expanding the breadth of capabilities already in place.
Only ten million euros, how are you supposed to compete with China or America?
In fact, ten million euros doesn't sound like much at first;
however, it is to be understood as start-up financing.
It is essential for companies and research institutions to have access to AI supercomputers at all in order to be able to research, test and develop.
What exactly does the Hessian medium-sized company get out of it?
Many medium-sized companies in Hesse are already using AI to digitize their value chain.
In the future, this will also be extended to new product areas in order to be able to compete through the use of AI and also to be able to produce more sustainably.
According to industry associations, around 20 percent of companies are already using AI.
Small and medium-sized companies in particular face major challenges in the development and application of AI, for example when accessing specific computing infrastructure.
In Hesse, however, we already have important support options or are currently building them up.
How much money has flowed into how many projects so far?