Priority Area 1 Humans and Machines
The current developments in the field of artificial intelligence call for a reflection on what is technically possible and what has already been implemented - as has historically been the case with every major technical innovation. The Priority Area is intended to bring together measures at Heidelberg University that accept this challenge and consider, from the breadth of the humanities disciplines, what the technical innovations mean for the human world - also in their global and regional non-simultaneity. The aim is to enter into discussions with (AI) researchers from the social sciences, natural sciences, technology and life sciences from a humanities perspective and to be able to conduct joint research.
The Priority Area builds on the FoF 3 research focus areas “Linguistic Interaction and Physicality of Cognition”, “Knowledge Research with a Focus on Validity Issues”, “Transformation Processes” and the AI research at the Heidelberg Center for Digital Humanities (CAEDHET group). Ongoing funding measures such as the FoF 3-Thematic Research Networks “Digital Animism”, “ENACTING TRUST”, “Knowledge in Context” and the “Cognitive Science” network are thematically closely linked and will be included in the new network.
The following measures will be funded in Priority Area 1:
Summer School „AI and Human Values: Exploring technological, social, and normative perspectives“
The rapid development of generative AI is significantly shaping modern society. In this context, questions about underlying values and the ethical, legal, and social implications are increasingly being raised. The aim of the Summer School is to critically examine the normative foundations of generative AI and to discuss which values are embedded in its development and how these can be reflected and modeled. The Summer School offers an interdisciplinary space to connect perspectives (among others) from computer science, linguistics, philosophy, theology, medicine, and law. It is aimed at early-career researchers who wish to contribute to a deep discourse on values and norms in AI design and to build sustainable scientific networks.
Project lead: Dr. Maria Becker (German Linguistics), Tobias Just (Marsilius-Kolleg)
Date: 21.09.2025 - 28.09.2025
TRN „AI & Translation: Comparing cognitive processes in the human brain to AI models – using the learning conditions of interpreters as a testing ground“
The project compares processes in Large Language Models to those of the human brain. Focusing on the abilities of information uptake, memorization and knowledge retrieval, we investigate the learning conditions of interpreters, who need to efficiently encode and consolidate new knowledge in special domains, to successfully produce target language while analyzing incoming source language. LLMs show strong linguistic skills but lack a memory component for efficient encoding, memorization and retrieval of knowledge. To overcome both issues we design new learning tools for interpreters and a dedicated LLM memory component, by combining the expertise of natural language processing, interpreting science and cognitive neuroscience.
Projektleitung: Prof. Dr. Anette Frank (Computerlinguistik), Prof. Dr. Kerstin Kunz (Übersetzungswissenschaften), PD Dr. Gordon Feld (Klinische Psychologie am ZI Mannheim)
Seed funding „Soziale Robotik und KI: Sprache und Kognition“
The project aims to establish a robotics language laboratory that combines social robotics and AI-driven technologies to develop new interfaces for psycholinguistic basic research and intervention research. The laboratory is intended to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and exchange among researchers from various fields such as linguistics, cognitive science, psychology, artificial intelligence, and ethics. This will advance basic research on human-machine interaction across diverse multilingual and educational contexts throughout the lifespan. In the long term, the goal is to create a sustainable infrastructure that enhances scientific exchange and supports the university's profile development in this pioneering field.
Project Lead: Prof. Dr. Adriana Hanulikova (German as Foreign Language)
Seed funding „Digital Voice“
The seed funding aims to establish an interdisciplinary group on the topic of Digital Voice that will elucidate digital voice phenomena such as AI voice cloning, digital assistants and video platforms. Understanding digital voice technology as the lead modality of the 21st century and analyzing its generative, socio-technical, communicative and philological conditions is a core topic for future collaborations between the humanities, social and technical sciences. The Digital Voice project aims at a theory-building and empirical reorientation of the concept of voice and its associated complexities of linguistic modality. The funds will be used to establish an interdisciplinary network in 2025. If successful, an application for a joint grant application will be developed and submitted in 2026.
Project Lead: Prof. Dr. Theresa Heyd (English Linguistics), Prof. Dr. Daniela Landert (English Linguistics)
Research network „Trust in the context of ‚healthcare technologies‘“
Trust is a social phenomenon that is increasingly being discussed in relation to technologies (e.g., AI, bio-engineering) and their associated expert systems (e.g., sciences, healthcare system). The goal of the interdisciplinary project is to connect researchers in middle and advanced career stages from all disciplinary groups whose research relates to phenomena of trust in the broader context of healthcare technologies. The aim is to form and establish a long-term research network that will serve as a discussion platform to identify cross-disciplinary research approaches through regular, interactive workshops within the framework of professional discourse. These discussions shall foster the development of joint academic publication projects and applications for third-party funded projects.
Project lead: PD Dr. Nadia Primc (Ethics of Medicine), Dr. Philipp Schmidt (Philosophy/Phenomenological Psychopathology and Psychotherapy), Dr. Nils Schütz (Theology/MPI School Matter to Life)