2023 Plenary Speakers
Prof. Dr. Matthias Wölfel
Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences, Germany
Biography: Matthias Wölfel is a Professor for Intuitive and Perceptive User Interfaces at Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences, Germany, and associated with the Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences at the University of Hohenheim. His research interests include interaction design, human-computer and human-computer-human interaction, artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality, as well as digital culture. Dr. Wölfel was recognized in 2017 as one of the best professors in Germany by UNICUM.
After studying electrical engineering, information technology, and computer science at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany, the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, MA, USA, and the Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), Pittsburgh, PA, USA, Dr. Wölfel held full-time professorships in Interactive Media at Furtwangen University, Germany, and Intermedia Design at Pforzheim University, Germany. Besides his academic career, Dr. Wölfel contributes to media art exhibited at festivals and in museums worldwide. He worked for the ZKM|Center for Art and Media, Karlsruhe, and is the founder and CEO of ColorfulBit, an award-winning studio for new media and innovative technologies (awards include the “IKT Innovativ” by the Ministry of Economics and Technology in 2013, the “Innovationspreis-IT” in the category Entertainment/3D in 2014; nominations include the d-elina–German E-Learning Innovation and Young Talent Award in 2013).
Speech Title: Conversational AI is Changing the Pedacological Landscape: Here is How!
With the introduction of ChatGTP, the possibilities of natural language assistance systems became known to a broad public. After Corona, many schools and universities are confronted with a second massive change in teaching and learning. After the media revolution comes the AI revolution! While there is a broad discussion in the public media about the negative effects on education, researchers and companies are exploring the many possibilities that ChatGTP & Co. offers. Some argue that ChatGTP can replace already specialized solutions, while others argue that only specific solutions that implement the capabilities of large language models can offer the full potential. In the talk we will go into the question of why specialized solutions are required, at least for the time being.
Prof. Dr. Tim Schlippe
IU International University of Applied Sciences, Germany
Biography: Prof. Dr. Tim Schlippe is a professor of Artificial Intelligence at IU International University of Applied Sciences and CEO of the company Silicon Surfer. He studied computer science at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and did his master's thesis at Carnegie Mellon University. After successfully completing his PhD at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Prof. Dr. Schlippe worked at Across Systems GmbH as a consultant and project manager for several years before founding the company Silicon Surfer. At Silicon Surfer, he develops AI-powered products and services that have social value, e.g., the WaveFont technology which automatically and intuitively visualizes information and emotion from the voice in subtitles and captions. Prof. Dr. Schlippe has in-depth knowledge in the fields of artificial intelligence, machine learning, natural language processing, multilingual speech recognition/synthesis, machine translation, language modeling, computer-aided translation, and entrepreneurship, which can be seen in his numerous publications at international conferences in these areas.
Prof. Dr. Schlippe’s current research interests are primarily in the fields of AI in Education, Natural Language Processing, and Subtitling/Captioning. As IU International University of Applied Sciences grows rapidly, especially in distance learning, he investigates innovative methods such as automatic short answer grading, conversational AI, and gamification, which are then used in practice at IU to provide optimal support to both students and teaching staff.
Speech Title: Research and Application of AI for Education at IU
Accessing education is a vital asset for individuals, and one of the key objectives of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals is to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education (Goal 4). The research field known as 'AI in Education' focuses on the application and evaluation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods within the realm of education and training. This research area primarily aims to analyze and enhance the processes of teaching and learning by addressing various challenges such as automation, multilinguality, accessibility, explainability, recommender systems, question answering, (semi-)automatic grading, sentiment analysis, and more. Prof. Dr. Tim Schlippe and Quintus Stierstorfer will be discussing their research endeavors in these domains and their university's efforts to implement AI in diverse scenarios during their talk. IU International University of Applied Sciences, the largest university in Germany, attracts students from around the globe and strives to be one of the most advanced educational institutions in Europe, providing educational opportunities for all.