Prof. Dr. Ulrich Walter

How intelligent is Artificial Intelligence? Artificial Intelligence (AI) will radically change our world in the long term. But what exactly is AI? What is the current state of AI, and will it eventually match or even surpass human intelligence? Prof. Walter's research focuses on space robotics and geriatronics, i.e. robotic assistance for a self-determined life in old age. As a member of the Bavarian Ethics Council, he advises the Bavarian government on AI issues.

From NewSpace to AI – What lies ahead? We live in times of transformation. Technical innovations are changing our lives with increasing speed. How will robotics and AI influence our society? When and how will space tourism change our view of the world? Science astronaut Prof. Ulrich Walter heads the Chair of Space Technology at the Technical Uni-versity of Excellence in Munich and, as a member of the Bavarian Ethics Council, advises the Bavarian government on technical innovation issues.

Disruptive Innovations – What lies Ahead? Innovative developments have always been underestimated. Why is that? The talk will use illustrative ex-amples to analyze the misperceptions that even experts are subject to. Based on NASA's real space case studies, disruptive developments in the space sector (New Space), analysis of successful and failed busi-ness projects worldwide, and his work experience as a project manager at IBM, Prof. Walter will provide empirical guidelines on how we can better prepare for disruptive innovation.

The Darned Truth about the Future What can we know about the future, in principle and according to science? Why has it always been mis-judged, even by Nobel laureates and futurologists? This talk analyzes why we almost always misjudge the future and what causes our fears of the future. It explores what we can learn from this and how we can bet-ter prepare for the future.

NewSpace – Success and Ethos of a new Space Era This talk will analyze the NewSpace movement, which is challenging traditional ways of doing space that are generally considered too expensive, time-consuming, and sluggish for inventive risk-taking. What can we learn from NewSpace's disruptive innovations?