The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, took a tour in the VUB AI Experience Centre. The importance of her visit was marked by the anticipation of the Commission’s White Paper on European AI which is made available for the public on the 19th of February, 2020 – a day after her visit.
The multidisciplinary team behind the Experience Centre was thrilled to showcase the various innovations and solutions which are on display in the centre. Ursula von der Leyen could learn about each innovation and the technologies employed by the scientists themselves. The discussions shed light on the opportunities AI and Robotics can offer to people bearing in mind relevant concerns like privacy. The so-called demonstrators are developed to show the potentials of AI solutions. The president has shared with those present and the press that she is very impressed with the technologies she was introduced to.
Amongst the technologies she interacted with were demonstrators for computer-assisted surgery, autonomous wheelchairs, exoskeletons, blockchain-based support mechanisms for efficient use of solar energy in private homes, demonstrators of evolutionary & hybrid AI and more. She spent some time at each station and dedicated her attention to the researchers explaining the technologies used in the artifact and its potentials.
After her visit, Ursula von der Leyen shared how impressed she was with the researchers’ work and describes the artifacts as an example of how general technologies can serve people and help people in their daily lives. Furthermore, she also pointed to the Centre’s outstanding position as it is facilitated by a combination of regional funding, national funding, and European funding which she is very much in favour of. The AI Experience Centre is honoured to have had welcomed the president of the European Commission and demonstrate the indispensable work being done by experts to create human centred, and responsible AI.
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