Creative Ideas at the Hackathon in Weingarten

As part of the statewide “Long Night of Democracy,” RWU, together with its partners, hosted an event at the Haus der Familie in early October, inviting attendees to try out artificial intelligence for themselves and critically examine it.

Following the opening remarks by Weingarten Mayor Alexander Geiger, Professor Dr. Marius Hofmeister from RWU provided an overview of the possibilities and challenges of artificial intelligence.

Participants then worked in small groups to develop and test their own AI assistants. Among other things, they created applications for comparing political election platforms and verifying information. They also experimented with the deliberate manipulation of AI responses. The groups were supported in this effort by Michael Elbs from the Bildungswerk der Baden-Württembergischen Wirtschaft e. V. as well as by volunteers from RWU.

The hackathon demonstrated how technical experimentation can be combined with democratic education. The focus was not only on what AI is capable of, but also on how reliable its results are and what responsibilities come with its use.

The event was organized in collaboration with the City of Weingarten, the Bildungswerk der Baden-Württembergischen Wirtschaft e. V., and the State Agency for Political Education in Baden-Württemberg.

Funded by the Baden-Württemberg Foundation as part of the Long Night of Democracy in Baden-Württemberg.