ELLIS Unit Jena at the United Nations

On 31 May, the two directors of the ELLIS Unit Jena, Joachim Denzler (Friedrich Schiller University Jena) and Markus Reichstein (Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry), will host a workshop on “Forecasting the Future: AI in Early Warning SystemsExternal link”. The workshop will cover vegetation forecasting using remote sensing data, the optimization of humanitarian aid supply chains and the understanding of extreme heatwave risks. The workshop builds on the findings of the workshop on machine learning (ML), which the Jena researchers organized at last year's “AI for Good Global Summit”. Speakers at this year's workshop include Giulia Martini (United Nations World Food Programme), Shruti Nath (University of Oxford), Kai Kornhuber (International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis) and Vitus Benson (Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, ETH Zurich).

In addition, Markus Reichstein will join climate activist Sage Lenier and Claire Monteleoni from the University of Colorado (Boulder) on the Summit's main stage on May 31 to adress the urgent need to harness artificial intelligence (AI) for environmental protection. In her presentation, Sage Lenier will discuss the importance of education in cultivating a climate-conscious younger generation. Markus Reichstein will highlight the importance of AI methods in analyzing earth data for biosphere conservation. Claire Monteleoni will emphasize the necessity for collaboration for effective climate action.

Furthermore, the ELLIS Unit Jena will be presenting itself together with the ELLIS Society at an exhibition stand, which will provide insights into the ELLIS network and the research results of the ELLIS Unit Jena.

Background

The AI for Good Global SummitExternal link is organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), United Nations, and other global partners. The summit in Geneva aims to leverage AI to address pressing global challenges, aligning with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

The research pursued by the ELLIS Unit JenaExternal link is at its core motivated by the desire to explore how environmental and climate sciences can profit from machine learning and AI advances to gain a better understanding of Earth dynamic systems. Highlights of this research agenda include fundamental and pioneering work on the evaluation of climate change impacts in the society and the economy. Beyond a purely scientific work, this research will enable the regulatory bodies and policy makers in their decisions and measurements as well as the broader public to get a better grasp. The ELLIS Unit Jena is involving the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry and the German Aerospace Center and is funded by the Carl Zeiss Foundation and the Michael Stifel Center Jena. 

ELLIS (European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems)External link is a pan-European AI network of excellence. It builds upon machine learning as the driver for modern AI and aims to secure lasting international leadership of AI made in Europe by connecting top researchers in this field and by creating a multi-centric AI research laboratory connecting world-class AI research institutions in Europe. Founded in 2018, ELLIS has grown into a network that counts 43 ELLIS sites in 17 countries, 16 ELLIS programs and a pan-European PhD program. The members of ELLIS are committed to shaping the future of AI in Europe by pushing the scientific and technological boundaries for human-centered, beneficial and safe AI.