The future role of AI and robotics for health and work

At the heart of munich_i is a high tech summit on 8th December. Other elements during the entire duration of the exhibition are the special show AI Society, the elite next-generation competition Robothon and the 'robot driver's license' for communicating the general principles. The patron of munich_i is the Bavarian Minister President Dr. Markus Söder.

The globally unique high tech format of automatica, MSRM and TUM brings together international personalities from AI and robotics in Munich. Mission of the joint project: Promoting responsible technological change that puts people at the center of attention. munich_i provides a stage for the ideas of well-known pioneers and unconventional thinkers, and promotes knowledge transfer and collaboration. This is where science, business, politics and society are successfully networked.

munich_i will be at the centre of the high tech summit on 8th December, the first exhibition day of automatica, which will include international figures such as Prof. Oussama Khatib, Director of Stanford Robotics Lab, Dr. Alessandro Curioni, Director of IBM Research Lab, Prof. Dieter Fox, Department of Computer Science & Engineering at University of Washington, Prof. Carme Torras, Research Professor at the Institute de Robòtica I Informàtica Industrial Barcelona, and CEO of Infineon Technologies AG Dr. Reinhard Ploss.

The Summit will address business leaders and managers responsible for production, research and development, technology and digital transformation. At munich_i, you will receive reliable and roadmap-compatible guidance about which technologies will become relevant in the future and which industry standards will prevail.

In other words, which areas and topics will change the business models and must already be included in the strategies of companies today.

Why munich_i?

munich_i Director Prof. Dr. Sami Haddadin wants to provide answers to the most urgent questions of society with munich_i: “Artificial Intelligence and robotics are on the verge of a technological quantum leap. munich_i presents international thought leaders from research, technology and industry, who place humans at the centre of their work and thus change our lives in the future in a sustainable manner.” In addition, the new platform will help to expand Munich's high tech location into a global centre for AI.

For Falk Senger, Managing Director of Messe München, the new AI platform will make automatica more relevant to society: “With the premiere of munich_i, new topics are opening up for automatica. Together, we are initiating a debate on the benefits of technology as a human aid in the relevant areas of health, work and mobility.

"With munich_i, we are simultaneously bringing together in Munich what belongs to each other and complements each other ideally - on the one hand, automatica as a driving force for AI and robotics, and on the other hand, MSRM as Europe's leading deep tech forge.”

Prof. Alena Buyx, who is also the Director of munich_i, emphasises the social relevance of AI: “Rather sooner than later AI will permeate our everyday lives, but it also brings with it a number of important challenges. Therefore it must be built with ethics in mind. At TUM, we develop ways to integrate ethical and social considerations into the development process, directly and from the very beginning.”

Dr. Reinhard Ploss, CEO of Infineon Technologies AG and one of the speakers of the High tech Summit on 8th December, also points out the great importance of new technologies in meeting the major societal challenges of the future: “Serving the needs of a growing world population while reducing the impact on the environment requires new approaches. Digitalisation, including Artificial Intelligence and collaborative robotics, are key to a more convenient and sustainable way of life. They allow for higher levels of productivity and help to reduce physical stress and improve the quality of life for humans. Infineon is helping to make these applications more productive, robust, energy-efficient and trustworthy with advanced semiconductor technology.”

Additional offerings: AI.Society, Robothon & Robot Driver's License

In addition to the high tech summit on December 8, munich_i will provide additional high profile offers dealing with artificial intelligence and robotics during the automatica trade fair from 8th to 11th December, 2020.

• AI.Society: On more than 1,000 square metres, trade fair visitors will learn about the pioneering AI initiatives of MSRM/TUM and selected startups, which will become a reality tomorrow in health, work and mobility.
• Robothon: In a multi-day competition, the international academic elite of the next generation will develop solutions based on a uniform AI and robotics platform and consequently demonstrate their skills.
• Robot Driving License: Trade fair visitors will have the opportunity to learn the basics of the collaboration between humans and robots in hands-on encounters.