As the challenges we face become increasingly complex and interconnected - ranging from climate change and the energy transition to the demands of sustainable design and the adaptation of our built environment - our human problem-solving capacities are being stretched to their limits. Traditional methods often struggle to keep up with the rapidly evolving nature of these issues. In this context, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is emerging as a transformative tool, offering the ability to co-create solutions beyond what we can currently achieve. With its capacity to process vast datasets, simulate complex systems, and generate a wide range of alternative approaches, AI is reshaping our understanding of the future of design and construction.
However, as AI becomes more embedded in design and construction practices, it also prompts critical questions about human agency, adaptability, and responsibility. While AI can deliver innovative, data-driven solutions that are both efficient and scalable, how do we ensure that these solutions remain flexible and responsive to the dynamic challenges posed by environmental and societal changes? What do we gain - and what might we lose - as design and construction processes become more reliant on machines?
The Co-Creating Machines symposium will explore these pressing questions, examining AI’s potential to address today’s multifaceted design challenges. Scholars, practitioners, and students from various disciplines are invited to engage in this collaborative dialogue. Together, we will critically investigate how co-creating with machines can foster novel, adaptive solutions while also considering the potential downsides, such as the erosion of traditional skills or the narrowing of creative diversity. The symposium will serve as a platform for exchanging ideas, debating diverse perspectives, and reimagining the future of design and construction in an AI-augmented world.
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TIME SCHEDULE
Thursday, April 3
10:00 - 12:00 Shuttle Transfer (from TUM Main Campus to Raitenhaslach)
12:00 – 13:30 Lunch (Raitenhaslach)
13:30 – 15:00 Workshop on AI and Computational Design (organized by PhD researchers)
15:00 – 16:00 Coffee Break
16:00 – 17:30 Workshop on AI and Digital Fabrication (organized by PhD researchers)
17:30 – 18:00 Shuttle Transfer (from Academy Center TUM Raitenhaslach to Hotel Burgblick)
17:00 - 19:00 Shuttle Transfer (from TUM Main Campus to Hotel Burgblick)
20:00 – 22:00 Dinner (Burghausen)
Friday, April 4
08:30 - 09:00 Shuttle Transfer (from Hotel Burgblick to Academy center TUM Raitenhaslach)
09:00 – 10:30 Panel 1: Human-Machine Collaboration 4 x 10-min Presentations + Discussion
Moderator: Pierluigi D’Acunto (TUM)
Speakers: Kendra Byrne (Google), Terry Knight (MIT), Daniela Mitterberger (Princeton), Karla Saldana (UF)
10:30 – 11:30 Coffee Break
11:30 – 13:00 Panel 2: From Concept to Reality 4 x 10-min Presentations + Discussion
Moderator: Jeannette Kuo (TUM)
Speakers: Caitlin Mueller (MIT), Benjamin Dillenburger (ETH), Mark Tam (HKU), André Borrmann (TUM)
13:00 – 14:30 Lunch
14:30 – 16:00 Panel 3: Sustainability and Ethics 4 x 10-min Presentations + Discussion
Moderator: Kathrin Dörfler (TUM)
Speakers: Sean Hanna (UCL), Marina Otero Verzier (Columbia), Enkelejda Kasneci (TUM), Anna Keune (TUM)
16:00 – 17:00 Coffee Break
17:00 – 18:00 PhD Poster Session
18:30 – 20:00 Dinner (Raitenhaslach)
20:00 – 20:30 Shuttle Transfer (from Academy Center TUM Raitenhaslach to Hotel Burgblick)
Saturday, April 5
09:00 - 11:00 Shuttle Transfer (from Hotel Burgblick to TUM Main Campus)
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When:
3rd to 5th of April 2025
Where:
multiple locations (shuttle transfer provided)