Four days focused on responsible design of AI-driven autonomous systems, robotics, and physical AI.
Held from September 14 to 17, 2026, the Berlin Summer School of Artificial Intelligence and Society brought together 50 students from 10 countries for talks and hands-on sessions on the responsible design of AI-driven autonomous systems, robotics, and physical AI. BIFOLD, the Weizenbaum Institute, and the Learning and Intelligence Systems Lab (LIS) at Technische Universität Berlin jointly organized the event.
The 50 participants were selected from nearly 140 applicants: half came from computer science, and the other half spanned the social and communication sciences, psychology, law, and other fields, coming together to examine AI's technological developments from multiple perspectives.
Keynotes
Three keynote speakers introduced the summer school's central themes. Judith Simon gave an overview of Trustworthy AI from an ethical and philosophical perspective. Marc Toussaint introduced Physical AI, focusing on how intelligent systems can act in the real world. Iyad Rahwan presented research on the societal impacts of artificial intelligence and future technologies.
Safety by Design
BIFOLD Co-director Klaus-Robert Müller addressed the participants on the principle of Safety by Design: safety, he argued, cannot simply be added to a system afterward; it must be built in from the outset. "Doomsday scenarios are not new," he said. "The same thing happened in genetics 20 years ago." He illustrated the point with an analogy: Benz built the car with a brake, and later the TÜV (Germany’s independent vehicle inspection body) introduced independent inspection. AI, he suggested, may need both: built-in brakes and an independent TÜV.
Visit to Google AI Center Berlin
A highlight of the week was a visit to the Google AI Center Berlin, founded in March 2026, where participants gained insight into the company's fundamental and applied AI research. An open panel with Klaus-Robert Müller, Urs Bergmann, and Felix Stahlberg, moderated by Ralf Bremer, gave students a look at their day-to-day work at Google, ranging from technical topics to career advice.[https://www.bifold.berlin/education/summerschool]
BIFOLD thanks all speakers, organizers, and participants for four engaging days. Please find all detailed information on the 2026 summer school website.
Photos: BIFOLD/ Michael Setzpfandt
