Amrei Bahr included in Germany's "Top 40 under 40"

In Germany, a young generation of outstanding AI experts from companies, start-ups and universities is gaining influence. Amrei Bahr, junior professor at the University of Stuttgart’s Institute of Philosophy, is no exception: In addition to her expertise on philosophical issues relating to artificial intelligence, she has also made a name for herself with her involvement in the #IchBinHanna initiative, thus making it into the "Top 40 under 40". With this award, the business magazine Capital recognizes outstanding achievements by ambitious talents under the age of 40.

"It is a great pleasure to be recognized as one of the "Top 40 under 40" this year: A great acknowledgement of my public commitment as a scientist!" says Bahr. "It is important to me to be involved in and help shape the scientific advancements that contribute to transforming our society for the better. Philosophy can provide valuable impetus for solving pressing social issues - such as what a fair and responsible approach to AI might look like."

Bahr, who has been working on copying and its consequences for the rights of authors since completing her doctoral degree studies in 2017, regularly takes part in public discussions about the opportunities and risks posed by future technologies. Her expertise in the field of philosophy is also in demand from the media.

In academia, the discussion often focuses on how we should deal with sources and possible plagiarism. The philosopher from Stuttgart reminds us of our responsibility: "We can't just say: The chatbot messed it up. People must take responsibility. They are the ones who ultimately use the tools and are therefore also responsible for the output."

Amrei Bahr was appointed as Junior Professor for the Philosophy of Technology & Information at the University of Stuttgart in April 2022. She received her PhD in 2017 from the University of Münster, was a fellow of the research group "Ethics of Copying" at the Center for Interdisciplinary Research at Bielefeld University, and most recently a postdoc at the Institute of Philosophy at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf.

Bahr's research interests include applied ethics, philosophy of technology and philosophy of art. She is currently working on an ethics of recycling, which questions whether recycling is really the best way of disposing of waste from an ethical point of view and the fairest way for all generations and countries. Her research on the ethics of academic publishing also focuses on questions of justice. She investigates how the academic publishing system must be changed to allow fair participation for all researchers.

Furthermore, Amrei Bahr is involved in science communication and campaigns for fair working conditions in science. In this context, she initiated the Twitter campaign #IchBinHanna together with Kristin Eichhorn and Sebastian Kubon in June 2021.

Since 2007, a jury from the business magazine Capital has been tasked with selecting the brightest minds and talents in Germany. The candidates are divided into four categories - managers, entrepreneurs, politicians, scientists, and company representatives. In making its choice, the jury considers excellent performance, impressive commitment, an extraordinary willingness to take on responsibility and the potential for further career advancement.