Different cultural backgrounds enrich the usage and development of generative AI technologies and allow novel viewpoints from different perspectives. Therefore, we would like to foster exchange among stakeholders from Europe and the Far East, especially Japan. In 2024, we are looking for contributions in the field of applying and developing generative AI applications and their impact on work and private live. This workshop does not only focus on a technical viewpoint but highlights also the cultural and emotional aspects as well as human-factors.


The Digital Revolution, Generative AI, and the Internet of Things

The digital landscape has undergone a remarkable surge in the last 3-5 years, characterized by rapid advancements in information and communication technology. The pervasive influence of these technologies extends across scientific, business, and personal spheres has fundamentally reshaped conventional workspaces, leading to novel ways of working and living.

Simultaneously, the interconnectivity of a vast of devices and components, often referred to as the "Internet of Things" (IoT), has become a reality. Current research endeavors focus on creating data spaces that ensure transparency and sovereignty in the collection, processing, and exchange of data.

Artificial intelligence, a field that emerged in the late 1950s, has experienced significant breakthroughs in recent decades. Notably, the boost in generative AI technologies and easy, “human-compatible” interaction methods are significantly changing the way of making use of technology, accessing tools, and interacting with them.
As a result, work practices and results are changing significantly by streamlining many kinds of tasks such as email correspondence and information retrieval from diverse sources.

This rapid development often leads to fears and uncertainties that arise when trying to keep pace. The sheer volume of technologies might create a sense of helplessness, with individuals and businesses feeling swept away by the technological whirlwind.
Humans in their professional and private lives raise concerns like “Can we grasp, comprehend, and evaluate the implications of these new technologies effectively?”
However, rather than viewing these advancements as threats, it is imperative to identify opportunities and consider how they can be meaningfully applied. Understanding the root cause of skepticism towards technology reveals that it often stems from a lack of comprehension and fear of change.

In our workshop we seek for approaches and realizations that integrate technology thoughtfully and ethically such that they offer improvements in the field of societal challenges, work support, safety, and overall well-being. A balanced approach that considers user perspectives, fosters trust, and prioritizes transparency is pivotal for the successful integration of technology into our rapidly evolving digital landscape.
This workshop in particular aims to bring together perspectives and mindsets from academia, applied research and business professionals from Europe and Japan. Japan is generally perceived as technology friendly and thinking in opportunities, whereas Europe is more reluctant and critically focusing on data and privacy protection as well as regulation when new technologies arise.

We are looking forward to international networking and welcome perspective exchange!

Contributions

We encourage contributions related to digital transformation, data sovereignty and GenAI applications / adaption with regards to topics like (not limited to):
* Lessons learnt from applying emerging technologies
* human-AI interaction and training
* explainable and trustworthy AI
* social impacts of generative AI
* data spaces in practice
* challenges for data spaces
* user and customer journeys alongside the digital transformation
* impacts on interaction, application design and user experience

Application contexts in all fields are welcome, e.g.:
* interactive and supportive systems
* human-(robot)-AI interaction
* eldercare and healthcare
* public safety
* smart cities and environments
* work support
* context and process analysis
* environmental protection
* education and entertainment
* social fairness, inclusion, and accessibility

Contributions may consist of:
Papers (4-6 pages + max. 2 pages of references)
Technical Demos
Posters
Posters will be included after review in the LNI publication.
For all contributions, an abstract submission is mandatory.
Please refer to the deadlines below.

Workshop Format

The workshop itself will follow a highly interactive format and is planned to include both oral presentations and a poster session. For oral presentations, ample time for discussion will be reserved. We also plan for one – two keynotes from European and Japanese speakers.


Contact

Please feel free to contact us via email for any question or suggestion:
granite-ejea_informatik2024@fit.fraunhofer.de
Your main contact persons are Sabine Ganter-Richter and René Reiners

Program Committee

Prof. Dietrich Albert, Graz University, Austria
Sabine Ganter-Richter, Network for Science, Germany
Dr. René Reiners, Fraunhofer FIT, Germany
Prof. Kiyoshi Tanaka, Shinshu University, Japan
Prof. Anders Törnvall, Linköping University, Sweden
Prof. Kenji Wada, Vice-President, Kagawa University

About GRANITE and EJEA:

Since 2019, the research networking project GRANITE, funded by the German Ministry of Research and Education, connects people and organizations from research, industry, and government from Germany and Japan countries.

Since 2020, the GRANITE network extended its activities across Europe by joining the European Japan Experts Association (EJEA). EJEA is looking for new opportunities to establish an advanced sustainable interdisciplinary network in order to provide a reliable foundation for enhancing the links between Europe and Japan.