In the eighth and final episode of the TRR podcast, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Britta Wrede talks with Prof. Dr. Friederike Kern and Prof. Dr. Benjamin Paaßen about the role of context in explainable AI and how AI systems can be designed to be more context-sensitive.
The year 2025 was marked by significant developments for TRR 318: new research findings, the third TRR conference, and a variety of formats for exchange with the public. In addition, the second funding phase was approved, starting in 2026. Here is a brief review of the year 2025.
How can different social groups be involved in discussions about artificial intelligence technologies? “First of all, by learning to talk about it and ask questions,” says Dr. Nils Klowait from the Ö project of TRR 318. The Co-Construction Workshops (CCWS) are one platform for this. They were developed in the first funding phase (2021-2025) of TRR 318 and tested with a variety of groups.
December 8 is Education Day in Germany, an annual day of action that promotes equal educational opportunities. In this context, the question arises as to how modern technologies, especially artificial intelligence (AI), can facilitate access to education and knowledge. TRR 318 spoke with Professor Elena Esposito, a sociology professor at Bielefeld University, about this topic.
The latest issue of the TRR 318 newsletter brings some exciting news: The German Research Foundation (DFG) has decided to fund the Transregio for another 3.5 years, enabling the second funding phase of TRR 318. The focus of the second funding phase will be on “context.”
On Saturday, November 22, TRR 318 presented a diverse program at the Wissenswerkstadt Bielefeld during the GENIALE 2025 science festival. Researchers provided insights into their work on the explainability of artificial intelligence at several stations. Visitors had the opportunity to learn about key issues addressed by the research network and try out various AI applications for themselves.
The TRR 318 will enter its second funding phase in January 2026. The German Research Foundation (DFG) announced today that it will extend the interdisciplinary research network of the Universities of Paderborn and Bielefeld for another three and a half years after a very successful initial period of four and a half years.
Why is Artificial Intelligence still struggling to provide exactly the information that meets the needs of those asking questions? In the 7th episode of the podcast “Explaining Explainability”, Professor Britta Wrede talks to two experts about the challenges and problems of so-called monitoring.
TRR 318’s graduate school provides a structured training program for doctoral researchers and post-doctoral researchers. Ricarda Kurock is the coordinator of the Research Training Group (RTG). In the following interview, she speaks about the offerings, goals, and success of the program. A key element for her is the cooperative, interdisciplinary approach.
All early-career researchers of TRR 318 are automatically members of the Research Training Group (RTG). In this interview, Josephine Fisher and Roel Visser talk about their experiences pursuing a PhD within the interdisciplinary projects of the Transregio, as well as about the mentoring provided by the RTG.
The new brochure is here! Its 72 pages present the research profile, current projects, and interviews with TRR members who provide insights into their work. The brochure is available in English.
Topics range from economics and computer science to sociology and psycholinguistics. The first TRR 318 doctoral candidates have successfully completed their dissertations and provide insights into their research.
Since July 2021, around 70 researchers from seven disciplines have been conducting research in 20 projects and six synthesis groups within the TRR 318. At the end of the first funding phase by the German Research Foundation (DFG), the TRR speakers take a look back and a look ahead.
Do all users always need the same information? And how can AI recognize what information users actually need to understand? These are the questions addressed by the TRR 318 synthesis group “Understanding.” It is one of six cross-disciplinary groups that bring together key aspects of the research project in an interdisciplinary manner.
