When the chat-based open source software answers one of my complex, convoluted questions in a matter of seconds, I find myself politely thanking it afterwards. It’s not for nothing that there are AI humanizers that make artificial intelligence feel more human. But who exactly is answering me and how does AI work? The new experience room of the Innovation and Quality Center (IQZ) Berlin in the Museum of Technology opens up new perspectives on the topic in a way that’s personal, approachable and fascinating. The IQZ Berlin is part of the “Mission KI” initiative of the National Academy of Science and Engineering, which aims to network data spaces, make artificial intelligence trustworthy, and strengthen digital competitiveness. The special exhibition at the Museum of Technology plays its part in making artificial intelligence transparent and accessible. Through interactive stations, visitors to the exhibition can learn about and understand the areas of application and systems of AI technology in a playful way. Where has AI played a decisive role? Where are humans irreplaceable? Several exhibits clearly demonstrate how AI recognizes faces and at the same time anonymizes them, supports medical analyses or enables logistics robots to navigate autonomously.

The free exhibition invites not only those interested in technology, but also families with children aged 12 and over, school classes, senior citizens and everyone in between. Free guided tours are available by appointment! Companies and start-ups can take advantage of consulting services for the development of trustworthy AI solutions and venture into the IQZ Berlin experience space until the end of the year to look into the future with a little more confidence.

Text: Emma Zylla / Photos: Fabian Schludi, Stefan Wieland

Deutsches Technikmuseum, Möckernstr.26, 10963 Berlin–Kreuzberg; map
IQZ Berlin until 31.12.2025
You can request free guided tours here.

@deutschestechnikmuseum
@acatech_de

As you lie back on the cool, cushioned surface and close your eyes, the lights begin pulsing and flashing – like sunlight flickering through tree branches as you drive past at speed. Then there’s the audio: deep frequencies and drones that combine to make a fluid and spacious soundscape. Enter “The Oracle”, a light sculpture that is one of four interactive works at HumanLab, an exhibition running at Quantum Galerie on Ku’damm until the end of March 2025. Intended by its creators at Paris-based collective Alpha Wave Experience to “stimulate your optic nerve”, The Oracle is likened by the exhibition’s curators to an ayahuasca ceremony. While your author cannot vouch for that claim, what’s beyond doubt is that the installation is deeply meditative and, yes, hallucinatory – like a lucid dream but with your brain fully dialed in. Overall twenty artists are participating in the show, whose digital artworks probe the connection between humans and technology.

This is done particularly effectively by another participant, Japanese media artist Ryoichi Kurokawa, who has partnered with the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL) to turn nano-level scientific data into immersive art shown on multi-channel displays with 4ch sound. Kurokawa’s visuals are fed by the data INL extracts from electron microscopy, computational modeling and quantum mechanics – fields that go way beyond human perception. The artwork takes on new meaning as experts now predict that artificial general intelligence will surpass humans in every cognitive task by 2026. Facing this future, the exhibition asks: what’s left of being human? In addition, visitors can take part in a curated program of performances and sessions, focussing on bringing body and mind closer together again. As we are increasingly moving in digital and technological spaces, it is time to ask ourselves, how technology can be more than just functional.

Text: Benji Haughton / Photos: HumanLab 

Quantum Galerie, Kurfürstendamm 210, 10719 Berlin–Charlottenburg; map
HumanLab, until 30.03.2025. Buy tickets here.

@humanlab4.0
@quantum.galerie