Right in the middle of the AI hype instead of just being there: the Zurich AI Festival’s “Hello, AI!” public event in Zurich on October 2 offered insights into the technology – and answers to the question of what it does. However, the event also showed that everyone can take action themselves.

"If we want artificial intelligence to reflect our own values, we need to actively shape the technology," said Fabian Streiff, Head of the Office for Economy of the Canton of Zurich, as he opened the Zurich AI Festival's "Hello, AI!" public event. And he also motivated the audience: "Switzerland thrives on innovation - and for that we need people who are actively involved in shaping it. So be courageous, be creative."

Creative? Courageous? The thoughts of IT expert Daniel (56) in the audience revolved around even more fundamental questions, such as: What happens to our data? What is AI doing to our society? And shouldn't IT play a greater role in schools?

AI Complements Our Intelligence

The presentations addressed precisely such questions - and encouraged people to take the initiative. Because, according to the founder of the Swiss Healthcare Startups and comedian Fabian Unteregger: "We can't turn back the clock". Just as the car was a turning point in a world of horse-drawn carriages, AI is now changing our lives.

This upheaval also fuels fears - which Unteregger countered with his understanding of technology. He explained that the AI needs enormous computing power just to understand the simple statement "I'm sleeping on the bench". People, on the other hand, know directly that a park bank and not a money bank is meant. That's why AI is "a supplement to our intelligence, not a replacement for it", he says.

The Responsibility Lies With Us

In order for AI to find its way around human language, it needs a "map" with around 13,000 dimensions - and yet it influences us. "AI shapes our language - and therefore also our behavior," emphasized Nathalie Klauser, founder of the AI start-up Intersections.

For example, a study by the Max Planck Institute has shown that since the emergence of AI, certain words (e.g. delve, swift, comprehend) have been used significantly more often - even by people who do not actively use AI. In view of this cultural feedback, Klauser believes it is essential that AI is built in such a way that it does not harm us - and society must ensure this: "In the end, we humans are always responsible."

AI must be technically robust, legal and ethically justifiable. Tools such as Goblin, an AI that helps neurodivergent people to tackle tasks - such as spring cleaning - in a structured way, show that this is possible. At the same time, however, there are also ethically problematic issues. Logistics service provider Planzer, for example, optimized its routes with AI. The result: employees no longer had time to go to the toilet.

It Does Exist – the “Good” AI

Apertus proves that artificial intelligence that meets legal and ethical values is possible. The AI developed by Swiss universities is the first system to fulfill the European "AI Act" - and thus also the criteria that Klauser demands: Control, integrity, transparency and participation.

"With Apertus, we are contributing to the research and development autonomy of our location," emphasizes researcher Imanol Schlag. Unlike the applications of large AI companies, Apertus is not profit-oriented. This is why the researchers were able to base their development on the interests of society.

And so even a piece of Swiss identity has a place in the AI: Apertus also "speaks" a little Swiss-German. Nevertheless, it is a model for the world: "The data used reflects the diversity of the internet - around 40 percent of the training data is not in English."

Young People Lead the Way With Their Own AI Projects

Swiss youth prove that AI is not just a tool for research labs or tech giants: in the AI Challenge, schoolchildren dedicated themselves to developing their own AI applications - and received awards for their efforts.

Mitul and Tanish developed the "AI Personal Trainer" and won the "AI for Good" category. The software helps with rehabilitation exercises - making physiotherapy accessible to everyone.

Levin won the "Creative Coding" category with "Mentis", a software program that sorts your own notes and links old ideas with new ones in order to structure your thoughts more clearly. Levin has learned a lot: "My view of AI has changed: I am positively surprised, but - because I now understand it better - also a little disenchanted."

AI Challenge 2025

The challenge is organized by the ETH AI Center in cooperation with the Office for Economy, Canton of Zurich, and the Cantons of Schwyz and Zug. This year, almost 100 young people between the ages of 13 and 19 took part. Between January and August, they translated their ideas into code with the help of doctoral students from the ETH AI Center.

The finalists were:

Everyone Has Ideas

Levin also won over Asel-Maria (48) with his project. She attended the event because she wanted to understand AI - which is scary to her - better. Although her fears have not been allayed, she finds programs like Mentis particularly helpful and important for young people.

And spontaneous ideas also emerged from the audience: for example, a spreading aid, a matching tool for true love, a chemistry assistant or an intelligent photo album.

The message of the event was clear: AI affects us - and we can all help shape it.

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