Jülich’s End-of-Year Lecture 2024

In the presence of State Secretary Judith Prischer from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and Ina Brandes from the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, we will bid farewell to our Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors Karsten Beneke, who will be stepping down from his position after 13 years.” Our attention will then turn to the topic of artificial intelligence in science. In our End-of-Year Lecture 2024, Jülich neuroscientist Prof. Simon Eickhoff will speak about the opportunities and challenges that are associated with this powerful tool using the example of brain research.

“Show me your brain and I’ll tell you who you are” – What AI means for brain research

Artificial intelligence is developing rapidly and presents many opportunities – for society and science. In medicine, for example, it can help with diagnoses, as brain researchers use AI to detect and identify connections in huge data sets that remain hidden to humans. But applications in this area are particularly sensitive.

What happens when AI analyses our thoughts and brain activity? Can it really derive personality traits from images of the brain? Will it one day be able to diagnose illnesses quicker and better than doctors or more accurately predict treatment outcomes? Prof. Simon Eickhoff, a neuroscientist at Jülich, has been investigating the application of AI in brain research for years. He trains algorithms using data from brain scans, optimizes methods, and assesses which statements made by AI are already reliable. In doing so, he not only considers scientific aspects, but also ethical, legal, and social issues. Because ultimately, only the responsible use of this powerful tool will ensure that society benefits from AI.