German Green Party launches AI dialogue initiative with industry leaders

Franziska Brantner, co-chair of the German Green Party (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen), has launched a new initiative to facilitate dialogue regarding Artificial Intelligence. Held at the German Bundestag, this regular working group consists of approximately 25 members from business, science, and civil society. The goal is to create a continuous exchange to better align political decision-making with practical research and application in Germany and Europe.

Participants include notable companies such as translation software provider DeepL and defense technology startup Helsing, alongside firms like Parloa, Prior Labs, Codesphere, Black Forest Labs, and Polarise. The group aims to address strategic challenges and the evolving regulatory landscape, including the EU AI Act.

Separately, interim manager Eckhart Hilgenstock has warned that Germany's progress in AI is being hindered by fundamental misconceptions. He argues that many leaders incorrectly view AI as a standard IT technology rather than a socio-economic revolution. Hilgenstock emphasizes that because digital progress follows exponential growth curves rather than linear ones, underestimating the speed of development could leave industries unprepared for rapid changes.