An interview with Thomas Lengauer and Klaus-Robert Müller examines the opportunities and risks associated with this technology.
On 25–26 September 2025, the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina holds its Annual Assembly in Halle (Saale) and online. This year’s focus is Artificial Intelligence (AI) – one of the most transformative technologies of our time, reshaping research, healthcare, communication, and political processes.
The scientific coordination of the conference is led by Leopoldina members Prof. Dr. Dr. Thomas Lengauer, bioinformatician and member of the Leopoldina Presidium, and Prof. Dr. Klaus-Robert Müller, Co-Director of the Berlin Institute for the Foundations of Learning and Data (BIFOLD).
In their interview, Lengauer and Müller reflect on the opportunities and risks of AI. Müller emphasized that today’s AI models have already overcome mere data analysis. Instead they agenerate genuinely new knowledge, for example, in mathematics or quantum chemistry. Lengauer highlights disruptive breakthroughs such as ChatGPT and AlphaFold, while cautioning that “AI is an incredibly sharp weapon that can also be severely misused.”
At the same time, Müller underlines the role of academies as places of reflection rather than speed: “The question is whether a policy institution or an academy has to proceed at the same speed as the tech companies? It‘s all about reflection and fundamental ideas. And those don‘t get better if they are fast."
The Leopoldina program brings together leading experts from natural sciences, engineering, the humanities, and social sciences. Sessions will explore the medical and climate applications of AI, as well as its ethical and democratic implications, and the broader responsibilities that come with developing and deploying this technology.
The Leopoldina Annual Assembly 2025 addresses scientists, journalists, and all those interested in the opportunities and challenges of Artificial Intelligence. Registration is closed due to high demand. However, the event will be streamed live on the Leopoldina’s YouTube channel: youtube.com/@nationalakademieleopoldina.