What is actually behind artificial intelligence?

Everyone is talking about artificial intelligence, the new big hype that will change our world as we know it. The possibilities of using AI seem unlimited, expectations are skyrocketing and the results are superficially impressive. But what exactly is artificial intelligence? What are the foundations of the technology? And where are the conflicts and problems in AI itself? Florian Mehnert takes a deep but understandable look behind the scenes and demystifies a technology that is based on probabilities, pattern recognition and statistical procedures. He debunks the illusion of perfect automation, explains where the limits of AI lie and raises the question of why artificial intelligence is becoming an actor in the shaping of knowledge, communication and power.
Florian Mehnert explains a new, unfamiliar view of the concept of artificial intelligence in a critically refreshing way.

Lecture duration: about 50-60 minutes with numerous graphics

The Metaverse, the Future of the Internet

The Internet has become far more than a constantly available reference tool. We trade, shop, communicate, work, and have fun over it. The idea of an ubiquitous Internet running in the background became a reality long ago. Where is the Internet and the digitization of our everyday lives headed? There is already an impressive vision of what tomorrow's Internet will be for us, and the seeds are being sown for it today. What is behind the concept of the metaverse? Why is the development strongly driven by the gaming industry, among others. What does the Metaverse have to do with the Minecraft, Fortnite or Roblox platforms? What profound changes does the Metaverse mean for society, for every individual, for the job market and for the world we live in?
Florian Mehnert creates in his lecture a deep, yet understandable insight into the near future visions of the digital industry.

Lecture duration: about 50-60 minutes with numerous graphics

The day seminar "Dataism" versus freedom

The seminar illuminates the background, the emergence and the current strategies of the so-called surveillance capitalism. It begins with the emergence of the Internet and leads vividly, profoundly through the complex backgrounds and strategies of the Monetariierierug our data, to the deep conflicts with the European guiding principles. The seminar has a popular scientific structure. It is framed by interactive artistic elements that directly involve the participant in a co-creative process. The goal of the seminar is to give the participants a deep insight and a differentiated view. It is not about offering a certain attitude or a solution. The seminar develops the background knowledge for differentiated new own approaches of its participants.

Seminar duration: scalable from 4-6 hours with extensive graphics and interactive elements

"Dataism" versus Freedom

Algorithmic systems create new insights, new economic Structures and new forms of social communication. Do we really get to more knowledge and information through BIG DATA Analytics ? Or does the effort to bring the world under control leads to alienation and to the end of our freedom?

Length of lecture: approx. 50-60 minutes with numerous graphics

The one-day seminar "Dataism" versus Freedom

The seminar will examine the background, the emergence and the current strategies of so-called surveillance capitalism. It begins with the emergence of the Internet and leads vividly and deeply through the complex backgrounds and procedures of the monetarization of our data, up to the deep conflicts with the European guiding principles. The seminar has a popular scientific structure and works with interactive artistic elements that involve the participant directly in the process. The aim of the seminar is to give the participants a deep insight and a differentiated view. The seminar develops the background knowledge for differentiated new own approaches of the participants. It is not about offering a certain attitude or a solution.

Duration of seminar: scalable from 4-6 hours with extensive graphics and interactive elements

BIG DATA and the algorithmic human

The confrontation with an increasingly networked world, the digitalisation of our lives and the tension between our private lives is a central theme of social development. Google knows our diseases and our next holiday destination. WhatsApp knows who we're communicating with. Youtube knows which videos we watch and Instagram knows our posted life. The smart speaker listens into our bedroom and Facebook knows us better than our friends. The BIG DATA system registers our life in all its ramifications. The BIG DATA questions the principles of self-determination over psychological and social life, as well as our understanding of the political system.
Florian Mehnert explains in his lecture the basics and the basic idea of BIG DATA. He shows that the future has long since begun and that we are in the midst of a world of "datatism" from which there is no return back.

Length of lecture: approx. 50-60 minutes with numerous graphics

The participatory art installation FREEDOM 2.0

The participatory art installation FREIHEIT 2.0 was realized as a tri-national project in three countries and four cities (Weil am Rhein, Basel, Huningue, Stuttgart). Colored lines crossed the streets and sidewalks of the city center. The project's own app recorded movement profiles. For weeks, the art installation was supported by the BIG DATA COLLOQUIES with speakers from the fields of media theory, computer science, data protection, economics and philosophy. Florian Mehnert explains the background, processes and experiences to his art installation FREEDOM 2.0.

Lecture duration: about 45-60 minutes with numerous images of the installation

The art experiment "11 DAYS"

11 days the white laboratory rat in the art installation should be threatened by a weapon triggerable live via the Internet The world watched the white rat in the art installation by Florian Mehnert in a furious manner via lifestream. There was a violent shitstorm and threats of death.
The art experiment 11 DAYS went around the world.
But what was it really about? Was the work misunderstood? What were the intention of "11TAGE"? What happened in the background? Why was the experiment finished on the sixth day? The lecture looks at the reactions and backgrounds of the art experiment 11 DAYS.

in an exciting and comprehensive way. Length of lecture: approx. 60 minutes with detailed information graphics, videos and pictures

Political art, provocation and effect

Can political art make a difference and influence society? Florian Mehnert explains using the example of his well-known art projects "Forest Protocols, Human Tracks, 11 Days and FREIHEIT 2.0". the background of his work and his view of political art and its effects.

Length of lecture: 50-60 minutes with many illustrations