logo
'Godfather of AI' urges tougher government rules – DW – 05/22/2025

'Godfather of AI' urges tougher government rules – DW – 05/22/2025

DW23-05-2025

05/22/2025
May 22, 2025
AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton says artificial intelligence poses a myriad of challenges. He would like to see effective and strict government regulation of AI. DW met Hinton at the GITEX EUROPE tech event in Berlin.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

German minister to ask EU court to rule on migrant turnbacks – DW – 06/07/2025
German minister to ask EU court to rule on migrant turnbacks – DW – 06/07/2025

DW

time3 hours ago

  • DW

German minister to ask EU court to rule on migrant turnbacks – DW – 06/07/2025

Skip next section Welcome to our Germany coverage Guten Tag! DW is bringing you updates from across Germany, where Trump's tariffs, migrant turnbacks and a former operetta in Dresden are making headlines. After Chancellor Friedrich Merz met US President Donald Trump at the White House, German businesses are hopeful of a breakthrough in trade talks with the United States. Following a Berlin Administrative Court ruling that the government's policy of turning away migrants at the border was illegal, Germany's interior minister has vowed to go to the European Court of Justice. Also, the roof of the former state operetta building in Dresden, eastern Germany, is at risk of collapse after a major fire. We'll have the latest headlines, analyses, multimedia content, and DW on-the-ground reporting on everything to do with Germany.

How Munich became Europe's tech startup capital – DW – 06/04/2025
How Munich became Europe's tech startup capital – DW – 06/04/2025

DW

time6 hours ago

  • DW

How Munich became Europe's tech startup capital – DW – 06/04/2025

Founders flock to Munich, Germany, to access capital, expertise, and networks that can help turn ideas into thriving businesses. It's like navigating a labyrinth — a journey hundreds of young entrepreneurs across Europe embark on each year in search of opportunity, innovation, funding, and success. They're also looking for the country and city that offers the ideal conditions to launch a business. For an increasing number, that journey leads to Isar Valley, named after the river that runs through Munich, and which provided the informal nickname for the Bavarian capital's technology and artificial intelligence (AI) scene, inspired by the Silicon Valley technology hub in California. Munich's Technical University and its entrepreneurship center are essential for startup founders Image: UnternehmerTUM Munich ranks 17th globally in the latest Global Tech Ecosystem Index compiled by Netherlands-based data provider Dealroom. When measured by high-performance, innovation-driven ecosystems with strong per-capita output, Munich rises to 5th place — just behind US tech hubs San Francisco Bay Area, Boston, New York, and Cambridge. From hackathon enthusiast to startup founder Greek entrepreneurs Nikos Tsiamitros and Georgios Pipelidis also chose to launch their startup in Munich, even though Tsiamitros says there wasn't a "personal reason" to move to the capital of the German southern state of Bavaria. "I didn't know anyone here and had never even visited the city," he told DW, but added that he was well aware of the "excellent reputation" of the Technical University of Munich (TUM). Nikos Tsiamitros (left) and Georgios Pipelidis were drawn to Munich because of its excellent startup environment Image: Georgios Pipelidis Tsiamitros arrived from Athens to pursue his master's degree in Munich, while Pipelidis came to TUM via Austria to complete his PhD. "That's where we started working together on navigation software for public transportation," Pipelidis told DW. They joined a hackathon — an event where programmers team up for several days or weeks to develop software, often around the clock — and they won the competition. "From that moment on, we started to believe that our navigation and localization algorithm could become a real startup," said Tsiamitros. Then, in March 2019, they launched their first startup business called Ariadne — derived from the Cretan princess in Greek mythology who gave Theseus a thread to find his way out of the Minotaur's labyrinth. A fitting metaphor for their software, Pipelidis noted with a grin. UnternehmerTUM provides support with substance But having a strong algorithm is one thing. Launching a startup, writing a business plan, and securing capital is another. That's where Munich's startup ecosystem offers a crucial resource — the UnternehmerTUM entrepreneurship center based at TUM. At UnternehmerTUM, the two business founders learned how to start and run a company, Pipelidis said, adding that thanks to that support, Ariadne was generating revenue just a few months after launch. Ariadne's main product has since evolved from a navigation software into an AI-based people-counting and movement analytics tool. Today, it serves airports in Munich, Glasgow, and Los Angeles, as well as the German cities of Leverkusen, Bielefeld, and Regensburg, plus several malls and retailers, including IKEA. Startups like Ariadne also benefit from hands-on mentorship. Barbara Mehner, managing partner of the Xpreneurs incubator at UnternehmerTUM is one of them. "We help early-stage startups enter the market by connecting them with investors, mentors, and potential customers," she told DW. KEWAZO 'liftbot' and the robotic revolution in scaffolding Among the more than 100 tech startups founded annually in Munich is KEWAZO, a company led by Greek founder Eirini Psallida. Eirini Psallida is one of many successful startup founders who have emerged from the Isar Valley tech hub Image: Eirini Psallida KEWAZO's core product is a battery-powered, remote-controlled robotic lifting system called LIFTBOT. This robot facilitates the transport and assembly of scaffolding and other construction materials. "All industries seemed fully automated — except construction," Eirini told DW, explaining the idea behind the company. Psallida named the startup after the Greek word kataskevazo, meaning "to produce." And like Ariadne, this startup was born out of a hackathon at UnternehmerTUM. Today, the company's robotic lift system is in daily use at major industrial and construction sites — from the chemical park of BASF in Ludwigshafen, Germany, to oil refineries in the US. KEWAZO's liftbots are seen on many construction sites Image: Flint Hills Resources "I can't imagine how we would have done it without UnternehmerTUM," Psallida told DW, as the incubator gave them access to hardware, software, legal and business advice. "And we got help securing public funding without giving up any equity," she added. One in four German unicorns founded by foreigners The KEWAZO team includes six founders from four different countries, reflecting the diverse nature of Germany's startup landscape. According to the latest Migrant Founders Monitor compiled by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation and Germany's Startup Association, a significant number of founders in the country have a migration background. "Fourteen percent of startup founders were born abroad," said Vanusch Walk, senior researcher at the Startup Association and lead author of the report. Among the founders of so-called unicorns — startups valued at over a billion dollars — the share is even higher at 23%, he told DW. The survey shows that migrant founders stand out for their "strong entrepreneurial mindset, willingness to take risks, and resilience" — traits that are crucial for startup success. Migrant founders still face higher barriers Despite their strengths, migrant founders also face notable challenges in Germany. "Top of the list is access to networks," said Walk, adding that coping with Germany's infamous bureaucracy is also difficult, as well as gaining access to funding, no matter whether public or private. Germany: More support for migrant entrepreneurs? To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Pipelidis from Ariadne experienced this firsthand. One German venture capital firm made its investment conditional on replacing him as CEO with a German national. "They wanted a native speaker as the public face of the company," he recalled. "I understand that customers prefer dealing with someone who speaks fluent German — that's why all our salespeople are native speakers. But replacing me as CEO? That was too much," he said. In the end, Georgios Pipelidis and Nikos Tsiamitros secured support from a Greek VC firm. And despite the setbacks, their enthusiasm for Munich hasn't wavered. At the end of their own Ariadne thread still lies the Bavarian capital. This article was originally written in German.

Trump-Musk feud: What's at stake for world's richest man – DW – 06/06/2025
Trump-Musk feud: What's at stake for world's richest man – DW – 06/06/2025

DW

timea day ago

  • DW

Trump-Musk feud: What's at stake for world's richest man – DW – 06/06/2025

Elon Musk bet around $300 million on Donald Trump's campaign, gaining unprecedented access to the Republican president's administration. After their public fallout, DW asks what the row means for Musk's empire. How did Musk and Trump get so close? Once a vocal critic of Donald Trump during his 2016 United States election campaign, Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, pivoted from his Democratic Party roots to embrace Trump's policies during the Republican's second term. Frustrated by Obama-era regulations stifling his ventures, Musk embraced Trump's agenda of tax cuts and deregulation. Their bond grew from mutual respect to a robust political alliance, which saw Musk last year back Trump's reelection campaign to the tune of nearly $300 billion (€263 billion). When Trump returned to the White House in January, the world's richest man took on an advisory role in the administration, leading the controversial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Tasked with slashing public spending, Musk's role stirred controversy, impacting Tesla's stock price and auto sales. After months of pressure from investors, Musk agreed last month to scale back his work in Trump's government. Trump and Musk on the outs over Big Beautiful Bill To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video What sparked the public feud between Trump and Musk? On Thursday, wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the "The Dogefather," Musk was given an initially cordial farewell by the president in the Oval Office. But Trump could not contain his frustration at Musk's earlier criticism of his administration's sweeping tax and spending bill, which the Tesla founder called fiscally reckless and a "disgusting abomination." After Musk then accused the US president of alleged ties to child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the news conference ended with Trump threatening to revoke Musk's government contracts, which could cost his business empire billions of dollars. Over the next few hours, the row spilled over to social media, where both men repeated their White House remarks, prompting the SpaceX owner to announce an immediate decommissioning of its Dragon spacecraft, before appearing to back down. How did markets react to the Trump-Musk fallout? Tesla stock lost about $150 billion in market value on Thursday — the largest single-day decline in its history. The stock closed down over 14%. However, news outlet Politico reported Friday that the two men were scheduled to speak later in the day in the hope of defusing the situation, which caused a sharp reversal in the stock's fortunes. Tesla stock was up 5% in pre-market trade. Tesla shares have been on a wild rollercoaster ride this year after a strong performance around the US election. Having peaked at $428 in January, shares in the electric vehiclemaker plummeted by almost half in March as investors reacted negatively to Musk's involvement in the Trump administration. Tesla stock then rallied when Trump paused his unprecedented tariffs on the rest of the world and after US regulators eased rules on self-driving vehicles. Trump came to Musk's aid when Tesla vehicles and dealerships were attacked Image:What's at stake for Musk's empire? The public spat, as well as Trump's budget plans, have left the fortunes of Musk's companies hanging in the balance. Tesla, Musk's most profitable firm, could be severely impacted by Trump's plans to cut a subsidy on new electric vehicles that is worth up to $7,500 for buyers. Despite Musk's aggressive criticism and lobbying by Tesla, Trump plans to eliminate the credit by the end of the year, seven years before it was due to expire. News agency Bloomberg cited JP Morgan analysts as saying that the cut would reduce Tesla's full-year profit by $1.2 billion. Cuts to state-level credits could further impact the EV maker's bottom line this financial year. It could, however, encourage EV buyers to bring forward their plans and spur demand for Tesla's vehicles in the short term. Tesla is already being impacted by Trump's tariffs as the firm relies on Chinese parts for its Cybercab robotaxi and Semi electric truck. Starlink satellite system shaping modern warfare To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video However, it is unclear whether Trump can unilaterally make good on his threat to tear up federal contracts with Musk's firms like SpaceX. Since 2000, SpaceX has received more than $22 billion in contracts from the US Defense Department and space agency NASA. If Trump were to terminate the contracts, it would have a huge financial impact on SpaceX and disrupt the US government's space ambitions. SpaceX's Crew Dragon is currently the only US spacecraft certified to carry crew to the International Space Station (ISS). Any ending of Pentagon contracts involving Musk's Starlink satellite internet service would also be a lose-lose for both Musk and the government. Starlink provides broadband services to rural areas. Terminals are also deployed on US military bases, ships, aircraft, and armored vehicles. The satellite internet service is often used for disaster response. Edited by: Uwe Hessler

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store