Functions and consequences of artificial intelligence
in the science and higher education organization
Innovation analysis and transfer development
INTERVIEW
What can we know? Klaus Mainzer has been fascinated by the fundamental and limiting questions of knowledge acquisition since his school days. Photo: Hentschel.
TUM – “EMERITUS OF EXCELLENCE”
A keen mind bridging theory and technology: AI boundary-crosser Klaus Mainzer
Briefly: Klaus Mainzer Joins KIWIT Scientific Advisory Board
Renowned Thinker in Humanities and Natural Sciences | Philosophical Focus: Artificial Intelligence as an Epistemic Question
Klaus Mainzer is one of the leading voices in exploring the major questions of artificial intelligence—technologically, philosophically, and ethically. He has conducted research and taught at multiple universities, always with a focus on the fundamentals of complex systems and the potentials and limits of machines. We are pleased to welcome him as a new member of KIWIT’s scientific advisory board. In recent years, Mainzer has published widely recognized books showing how AI development is intertwined with our understanding of humanity, society, and responsibility. In light of his recently published Philosophical Handbook of Artificial Intelligence, we asked him a few questions.
What can computer scientists and AI engineers take from this handbook?
The handbook clearly explains the logical, epistemological, and methodological foundations of AI, which are crucial for applied work in computer science and AI engineering. The innovation potential of AI can only be realized by those who understand its possibilities and limits. History of science and technology shows that major breakthroughs often require interdisciplinary integration of philosophy, logic, mathematics, natural and engineering sciences—another key focus of the handbook.
Key insight for humanities and social sciences?
AI research uniquely targets the core of human self-understanding, requiring continuous reflection in light of rapid technological development. Beyond methodological clarification, the research offers guidance for responsible application in society and the economy, ensuring AI serves humanity, nature, and society sustainably.
On AI as a cross-disciplinary field:
Friedrich L. Bauer, one of the founders of computer science in Germany, described it as a “humanities-engineering science”: logic and mathematics position it as a humanities discipline, yet formal systems are written for machines, reflecting engineering principles. Classical symbolic AI aimed to replicate human intelligence through formal rules.
However, human experts also rely on tacit knowledge and intuitive skills, shaped by sensory experience. This recognition has influenced AI development, including neuromorphic (brain-inspired) computing and embodied AI. The old Cartesian dualism of mind and body is increasingly seen as outdated.
Klaus Mainzer (ed.) (2024): Philosophical Handbook of Artificial Intelligence. Wiesbaden: Springer VS.
Klaus Mainzer (ed.) (2019): Artificial Intelligence – When will the machines take over? Berlin/Heidelberg: Springer.
Our advisory board appreciates the great philosophical and epistemological depth of Werner Heisenberg, who is being commemorated in the "Quantum Year 2025". Image: New Scientist.
For his achievements, Klaus Mainzer of the Technical University of Munich was inducted into the circle of "Emeriti of Excellence." Mainzer continues his research as a senior professor. Image: TUM.
About Prof. Dr. Klaus Mainzer
Born in 1947 in Opladen, Klaus Mainzer studied mathematics, physics, and philosophy. He is one of the most renowned philosophers of science in the German-speaking world and internationally recognized as a leading thinker in complexity theory, artificial intelligence, digitalization, and research ethics. After completing his studies, doctorate, and habilitation at the University of Münster, he was a Heisenberg Fellow of the German Research Foundation (DFG) before holding professorships at the Universities of Konstanz and Augsburg. In 1998, he became founding director of the Interdisciplinary Institute for Computer Science in Augsburg. From 2008 to 2016, he was Professor of Philosophy and Theory of Science at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), where he led the Munich Center for Technology in Society and the TUM Institute for Advanced Study. Since 2016 he is TUM Emeritus of Excellence and, from 2019, also Senior Professor at Eberhard Karls University Tübingen.
Mainzer has worked for decades on the foundations of complex systems, the mathematics of emergent phenomena, and the limits and opportunities of algorithmic intelligence. His numerous books include Der kreative Zufall, Thinking in Complexity, Künstliche Intelligenz – Wann übernehmen die Maschinen?, Quantencomputer, and Die Berechnung der Welt, many of which have been translated into several languages. As an advisor to science, politics, and industry, he brings experience-based perspectives to technological innovation processes. He holds memberships in various scientific academies and committees, including serving as President of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts. His central aim is to convey science not as isolated specialist knowledge but as a critical and responsible contribution to a complex world—a vision he now brings to the KIWIT research group’s scientific advisory board.
[Website at TUM]
What fascinates you most about AI as a research topic?
Since school, I have been fascinated by the fundamental and boundary questions of philosophy and science. AI provides us with new cognitive tools for insights and problem-solving that would have been nearly impossible decades ago. While critically assessing technological consequences, Europe needs this fascination for research, as it underpins the innovative capacity of our economy and, ultimately, societal welfare and prosperity.
What advice do you have for those interested in AI but feeling overwhelmed?
Read my books on the topic, which balance philosophical curiosity, technical fascination, and critical clarification of basic concepts. This approach allows for measured evaluations of future developments. Such strategic thinking is essential for Europe in the global competition of political systems in the AI era.
Quantum Computing and the Heisenberg Year 2025
Werner Heisenberg profoundly impressed me with his mathematical brilliance and philosophical depth. His 1925 work laid the foundations of modern quantum mechanics. Quantum computing demonstrates how long-term research breakthroughs and innovations often stem from thought experiments and philosophical principles.
Erwin Schrödinger’s 1935 thought experiment illustrated the superposition of quantum states, leading to the concept that bits (0 and 1) can also exist in superposition. Quantum computers access multiple bits simultaneously, vastly accelerating computation. Problems unsolvable by classical computers within a human lifetime can now be solved in minutes or seconds.
Einstein’s 1935 thought experiment introduced the concept of entanglement, showing that distant particles can exist in a shared quantum state (non-local realism). This principle underpins quantum communication: senders and receivers become entangled, creating a quantum internet that instantly detects interference or attacks. Quantum technologies thus enhance both speed and security in computation and communication.
Closing remarks
We look forward to Prof. Mainzer’s upcoming lecture at the 1st Networking Meeting of the Science and Higher Education Research Funding Line (WiHo), organized by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the KIWIT group.
Lecture by Klaus Mainzer: "Artificial Intelligence in the Global Competition of Value Systems". Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker Colloquium, University of Tübingen, November 6, 2020.
Lecture by Klaus Mainzer at the University of Bonn: "Artificial Intelligence. When will the machines take over?", June 20, 2018.
"From the Quantum World to Artificial Intelligence": Lecture and discussion with Klaus Mainzer on September 5, 2021, as part of the 9th International Festival of Philosophy phil.cologne.
