“We provide answers“
The University of Bayreuth will continue its series of public discussions, which began in the "neuseum" in its 50th anniversary year, in 2026. However, the discussion series "We provide answers" will now take place in the Iwalewahaus. Visitors will thus continue to have the opportunity to engage in direct conversation with scientists, students, and staff of the University of Bayreuth.
Upcoming dates
Artificial Intelligence in Everyday Life – Prof. Dr Lena Kästner and Prof. Dr Agnes Koschmider provide accessible insights into current issues in AI research
When: Thursday, June 25, 2026, 6:00 p.m.
Where: Iwalewahaus Wölfelstraße 2
Artificial intelligence has long since become part of our daily lives – often invisible, sometimes impressive, occasionally unsettling. It answers questions, generates text and images, organises information and influences how we navigate the digital world. But how do systems like ChatGPT or Claude actually work? Do they really think – or are they merely simulating intelligence? What risks arise when AI distorts content, manipulates opinions or generates images that are deceptively realistic? And how can citizens learn to recognise AI-generated content and evaluate it critically?
The University of Bayreuth’s next public discussion will address these questions on Thursday, 25 June 2026, at 6 pm at the Iwalewahaus (Wölfelstraße 2). The event is specifically aimed at interested members of the public from the city and the wider region who wish to understand how AI works – and what opportunities and challenges it presents for our society. Admission is free, and no registration is required.
In two short talks, each lasting 15 minutes, Prof. Dr Lena Kästner and Prof. Dr Agnes Koschmider will provide accessible insights into current issues in AI research. Under the title ‘(What) Do Claude, ChatGPT and Co Think? On the Chinese Room and Stochastic Parrots’, Kästner will explore the fundamentals of large language models, their limitations and the risks of misinformation, opinion manipulation and the so-called ‘Dead Internet’. Koschmider will then, under the title “Forewarned is forearmed: How do I recognise AI-generated images?”, explain how image forgeries are created, how to spot them and what social impacts deepfakes can have.
Afterwards, the two researchers will join Gert-Dieter Meier in a discussion about the role of AI in everyday life and how these technologies can be used responsibly. Visitors will then have the opportunity to ask their own questions and engage in conversation with the experts.
With this public forum, the University of Bayreuth is continuing its series in which current academic topics are presented in an accessible way and discussed openly with the local community. The aim is to make research more accessible and to provide guidance at a time when technological developments are having an ever-greater impact on everyday life.
About the person:
Prof. Dr Lena Kästner
Lena Kästner is a professor of philosophy, computer science and artificial intelligence at the University of Bayreuth. She has a background in cognitive science and cognitive neuroscience and obtained her PhD in philosophy from Ruhr University Bochum. Her research focuses on explainability, intelligence and causality in AI systems. She led the ‘Explainable Intelligent Systems (EIS)’ group and is currently the principal investigator (PI) of the project ‘For the Greater Good? Deepfakes in Criminal Prosecution (FoGG)’. She is also Vice-President of the Society for the Philosophy of Science (GWP), Deputy Director of the Bayreuth Research Centre RAIS² and Coordinator of the “Philosophy & Computer Science” Master’s programme.
About the person:
Prof. Dr Agnes Koschmider
Agnes Koschmider is a professor of Business Informatics and Process Analytics at the University of Bayreuth. She obtained her PhD from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and completed her habilitation in Applied Computer Science. Before her appointment in Bayreuth, she was a professor of Business Informatics at the University of Kiel. In her research, she develops data-driven methods to extract knowledge from large amounts of data – often using AI techniques. She is particularly committed to actively involving society in the development and evaluation of new AI technologies and raising public awareness of the opportunities and risks involved.