AI Austria monthly: October Update
Economics of AI event preview, new funding program for SMEs, from awards won to a new national award
This September was not just the hottest autumn month on record, but also saw a tremendous amount of events, announcements and policy activity. As a cherry on top the new xR Landscape Austria launched. Next stop - October :)
🚀 Latest Developments
🏆 Sepp Hochreiter wins German AI Award 🇩🇪
The recipient of the 2023 AI Innovation award, which is awarded for groundbreaking achievements in the research and development of artificial intelligence, is Prof. Dr. Josef "Sepp" Hochreiter, internationally renowned AI scientist and Chairman of the Institute for Machine Learning at Johannes Kepler University Linz. Prof. Hochreiter is honored with the award for his development of a high-performance language model. A great honor and confirmation of his research work, Hochreiter is pleased - but the prize is also an incentive to further develop AI in the sense of people and for the benefit of society in the long term. » further reading and all winnners
📣 Event announcement: Economics of AI 📊
Together with EcoAustria we will host a conference on the economic impact of AI. Join us on November 24th and listen to keynotes and panel discussions ft. international experts such as Dr. Pierre-Alexandre Balland (Utrecht University), Dr. Fabian Stephany (University of Oxford) and many more » further info and registration
⛰️ Austria's AI Roadmap: Action package presented
State Secretary for Digitalization, Florian Tursky, unveiled Austria's approach to the upcoming European AI-Act, charting a strategic path forward for Artificial Intelligence
AI Service Center: By 2023's end, Austria aims to launch an AI service center within RTR (@Rundfunk und Telekom Regulierungs-GmbH). This step is a prelude to a dedicated AI authority, placing Austria in league with nations like Spain and the Netherlands.
AI Labeling: To foster transparency, Austria will implement mandatory labeling for AI systems in federal entities.
Education Push: With the Digital Competence Initiative, Austria stresses AI education and awareness, initiating 800 workshops this October.
AI Monitoring: Austria's AI Monitor will evaluate AI's societal impacts, with a commitment to public data transparency.Strategy Update: A revision of the 2021 “AI strategy” is underway, aiming for a rollout in early 2024.
🔎 Study: Digitalization of Work 2023
Deloitte surveyed 500 employees in Austria about their attitudes towards digitalization and AI in the workplace. The study found that most employees support a balanced mix of human interaction and technological assistance, but also have fears about job loss and skill requirements. » check out the full results
🎖️ Austrian State Award Technology 2024 🇦🇹
The State Award for Technology is the highest award given by the Federal Minister for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology for groundbreaking solutions from Austria.
Special attention is paid to innovative technologies and cultural change initiatives that promote the competitiveness of high-tech industries in Austria in the spirit of the trend reversal and show new climate-friendly ways for a sustainable Austria. Especially relevant for our readers, with AI for Green, there is a special category for research in the field of AI, which can significantly contribute to mitigating climate change and protecting the environment. » apply here
XR Landscape Austria Update 🏞️
The XR Landscape Austria has been updated. Initiated in 2018 by Matthias Grabner and Clemens Wasner, this resource provides a structured overview of Austria's 🇦🇹 AR/VR technology landscape. The steady, unhurried growth of this diverse ecosystem is evident. Noteworthy developments like the introduction of Apple's Vision Pro and Meta's Quest 3, as well as the upcoming #AWEEU event in Vienna, subtly indicate a promising direction. Feedback is welcome, as are contributions to this evolving resource, available under the CC BY-ND 4.0 license.
» check out the XR Landscape Austria
🎼 Radio Series “Sinfonie der Algorithmen“ by Ö1
Starting from October 9th Austrian broadcaster Ö1 will have a look at the intersection of AI and music. Find the first episode “Between Fake and Fugue. How AI creates music and shapes realities.” and further information under » this link
🇦🇹 2nd Austrian policy forum & meetups
On October 11th & 12th the 2nd networking meeting of the AI Policy Forum to discuss the future topics of AI for Green and AI regulation will take place in Vienna.
Day 1: AI for Green: How do climate neutrality and artificial intelligence go together? We will show how contradictions can be resolved and what the opportunities are in the field of AI for Green » Registration for day 1
Day 2: AI and Regulation: What does the EU AI Act bring in practice? We address the current discussions on the regulation of AI and why it is important. Exciting speakers and discussions await you. » Registration for day 2
🧑💻 New talent and education platform
In today's fast-paced technology world, companies face the challenge of effectively training their employees on the latest AI tools.
With mytalents.ai a new learning platform, specifically for AI employee training that is both simple and accessible has launched. Their goal is for each department, whether finance, marketing, sales or any other, to reap the benefits of AI. » more information
💶 AI-Start: Grant for first AI projects in SMEs.
From October 4, the submission for the funding program "AI-Start" opens!
First AI projects in SMEs will be funded with a grant of 50% up to 15,000 euros, including consulting, preparation, PoC and pilot projects, realized with cooperation partners with AI expertise. Special focus is again on trustworthy AI.
More information on the various AI use cases and an overview of AI providers can be found at the aws AI Marketplace. We are looking forward to your innovative projects! The deadline for submissions is December 4, 2023. » application details
🍻 AI-zapft is! - beery-Stammtisch Meetups tour across Austria
The low-key and fly-hiA.I. Stammtisch Meetups continue also in October all over Austria - hosted by ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE INSPIRATION GenAI Community and Women in AI Austria » more info
🎥 New AI Insights from WKO Lookaut
WKO unveiled three videos on AI on their Lookout channel. The first discusses Europe's competitive stance in AI investments, highlighting the domination of the USA and the need for increased private funding in Europe. The second assesses Austria's AI infrastructure, emphasizing the crucial role of knowledge transfer and calling for strategic AI integration in businesses to maximize the country’s rich research landscape and expertise. The third explores the topic of investments and funding, comparing the European and US landscapes.
✨ Generative AI News ✨
Apple is delving into generative AI technology and aims to expand its AI team in the U.K., as conveyed by CEO Tim Cook. Cook also acknowledged the exploration into a service akin to ChatGPT.
Adobe has introduced an online version of Photoshop, enriched with AI-driven features like Generative Fill and Generative Expand, stemming from Adobe's Firefly generative AI model.
Microsoft has commenced the deployment of an update introducing the AI assistant Copilot to Windows 11. The distribution of the recent updates for version 22H2 of Windows 11 initiates today, although it might span weeks or months to reach numerous devices.
As reported by the Wall Street Journal, a provisional labor pact between Hollywood studios and writers may permit studios to legally harness AI models using writers' scripts. Despite potential AI utilization, the agreement ensures writers retain credit and recompense for their script contributions.
Amazon envisions a sizable investment of up to $4B in Anthropic, an AI venture established by ex-OpenAI personnel. The initial investment by Amazon is slated at $1.25B, with a potential extra $2.75B. Through this investment, Amazon will acquire a minority share in Anthropic, reputed for its AI-driven chatbot Claude 2.
📆 Upcoming Events
9.10. [Webinar] Customised AI: Train your own Large Language Model
12.10. AI m[eats] creativity? | Talks, Dinner, Party
13.10. AI for Creatives: Promptologie für Profis
24.10. Science Impact Circle: Kick-off Austria
For more information on upcoming events head over to our community calendar.
🧑💻 Featured Jobs
Once a month we feature selected openings from our job board in this section.
Founders associate at mytalents.ai
Data Engineer at Sclable
506 is looking for a full-stack Software developer with enthusiasm for GenAI
Know-Center Graz has many interesting open positions: Head of technology, Senior project manager and a project employee
Check out further listings at our Job Board