while physical travelling is still difficult in these times, we take refuge embarking on mental journeys. Exploring the numerous submissions for our idea contest on the Civic Innovation Platform is like embarking on an excursion to a (better) future:

Whether it’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications for simplifying language, detecting emotions, improving further education, or strengthening trust between people and machines, the variety of ideas shows the potential that these technologies harbour for advancing our society. On February 11 and 12 selected candidates will be presenting their ideas in a remote pitch. The winners will be announced on March 10. We are looking forward to meeting the teams in person and to discussing their ideas!

At the same time, let’s not forget the old football saying: “After the match is before the match” – or, in this case, before the next contest. So, if you have a good idea for an innovative AI project in mind or want to partner up with an existing team, you should register on the platform straight away. The next round of the contest will be starting in spring.

The focus of our “Human-machine interaction” dialogue series, which we continued on January 27, is how to improve working with future technologies. Together with a changing line-up of experts, we will be regularly discussing digital literacy, digital cohesion, and whether culture can benefit social technology design.

Enjoy your reading!

The Policy Lab team