Exhibition “Artificial intelligence explained”
The COSMO Science Forum took a closer look at the topic of artificial intelligence (AI) in its exhibition from 5 September 2023 to 25 January 2024. AI became the subject of increased public interest following the release of the online chatbot ChatGPT in November 2022.
How does AI work? What can we use it for today and in the future? What are the opportunities and risks? Visitors to COSMO Science Forum were able to explore these questions.
Dresden research institutes presented their work with AI using interactive exhibits. They offered visitors a playful insight into topics such as machine learning, intelligent image recognition and the use of AI in environmental research.
The exhibition was complemented by installations by architecture and design students and artists. The exhibition showed how AI is used in creative work and that its use can also be viewed critically.
Discussion events and workshops for children, young people and families or specific professional groups such as journalists were offered to provide more in-depth information.
The COSMO Science Forum recorded a total of 1,730 visitors to the exhibition and 396 participants in the events.
The exhibition participants were:
- Barkhausen Institut
- Department of Speculative Transformation, Dresden University of Technology
- Faculty of Architecture, Dresden University of Technology
- Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV
- Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Dresden - University of Applied Sciences
- Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development
- Living Lab ScaDS.AI Dresden/Leipzig
- Schaufler Lab@TU Dresden
The Barkhausen Institut exhibit
Data – fuel for artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence needs a lot of data to be able to learn. The quantity and quality of the available data determine what the system can learn and how well the AI works in the end.
This can be compared to a human being, whose decisions are more informed if they have gained many different experiences in their environment.
The Barkhausen Institut developed a driving simulator which interested visitors could use to experience the training of an AI. The AI system “observes” the user of the simulator while driving, learns from the data and then steers the car itself.
How well the AI steers the car in the end depends on how well the participant drove. At the back of the station, the driving styles of differently trained AI systems could be compared. This was a fun way of demonstrating how important the quality of the sample data is for the AI to be able to make decisions.
Our Connected Robotics Lab (CoRoLa) developed the interactive exhibit for the exhibition “Artificial Intelligence. Machines – Learning – Human Dreams” exhibition at the Deutsches Hygiene-Museum from November 2021 to 2022.
The driving simulator was exhibited at the COSMO Science Forum from September 2023 to January 2024.
Science Cache
Solving puzzles in the COSMO Science Forum - Science Cache “Data Traces”
For all those who wanted to discover the exhibition in a playful way, the Barkhausen Institut developed a tour through the COSMO Science Forum with five stations on the topic of “data”.
Using a mobile phone or tablet, visitors could solve puzzles such as a QR code puzzle or encrypted messages. The stations explained the significance of data and how it can be interpreted, transmitted and encrypted with short information texts.
At the last station on the topic of AI, the secret of the puzzle game was revealed:
All the information texts of the science cache were developed with the AI ChatGPT. This made it clear to visitors that it is not always obvious whether digital content has been created by humans or machines.