Katharina Zeig heads the “Algorithm Accountability Lab” at the RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, she founded the socioinformatics course and is an expert in AI. She has received several awards for her expertise, was a member of the “Artificial Intelligence” study commission until 2020, and she has written two bestsellers that explain to the general public what AI and algorithms are all about.
When Katharina Zweig switched from biochemistry to computer science as a student, she was one of very few women. And there are still far too few, she says in the current episode “The Boss – Power is Female”. Now is the right time to go into computer science because it allows you to actively shape society, says Zweig.
“In Germany we have neither managed to get women into computer science, nor the many children who have come here in the first, second and third generations. And we also need them very, very urgently in order to design software that is suitable for… is all beneficial.”
Because artificial intelligence can discriminate. Because it arises in a society that is discriminatory. That’s why it’s essential to take diversity into account in their development: “This diversity ranges from the very young to the very old, across a wide variety of cultural backgrounds and of course also across men and women.”
In an interview with Simone Menne, Katharina Zweig talks about bizarre incidents with artificial intelligence, explains what terrorism has to do with algorithms and dispels myths. For example, it is “a misunderstanding that today’s AI continues to learn in the company. That is far too dangerous, you don’t do that.” As a result, Katharina Zweig also answers the question of all questions: Could AI not even develop consciousness sooner or later?
The professor is passionate about her subject. She founded her own course of study at the university: “Socioinformatics”, which gets to the bottom of the social consequences of technological developments with and through AI. She wanted to get more women interested in the field. A nice side effect that speaks for computer science from her point of view: working from home and starting a family are perfectly compatible with this profession. For Katharina Zweig, however, things are different: “Here, my husband is at home with the children and I’m at the front of the stage.”
“The Boss” host Simone Menne and stern editor Laura Csapó alternately write to you on the topic of female leadership. Analysis, tips and tricks. 14 days, always between podcast episodes. Subscribe to the newsletter here.
At “The Boss – Power is Female” top women talk among themselves: host and multi-supervisory board member Simone Menne (including BMW, Deutsche Post DHL, Henkel) meets bosses from all areas of society to talk to them about their lives and careers. “Die Boss” appears every fortnight on Wednesdays on stern.de and the stern’s YouTube channel as well as on RTL and all common podcast platforms.
Editor’s note: Stern belongs to RTL Deutschland.