IT:U continues with 3rd Inaugural Lecture
The third IT:U Inaugural Lecture brought together leading scholars, industry leaders, and the general public to explore complex systems and GeoAI. Founding Professors Tiago Peixoto and Bernd Resch led the discussion on “Understanding Systems and Societies through Interdisciplinarity,” engaging 140 attendees both online and in person.
The Hidden Simplicity of Complex Systems
Prof. Tiago de Paula Peixoto explored how seemingly complex systems often have hidden simple rules responsible for their behavior. His research leverages network science and mathematical modeling to uncover structures in complex social, biological, and technological systems. Key applications include:
- Predicting Tipping Points – Identifying abrupt changes in climates, ecosystems, and economies to develop strategies for risk mitigation.
- Epidemiology – Using complex network modeling to enhance contact tracing and targeted vaccination strategies.
- Drug Discovery – Predicting beneficial or harmful interactions between existing drugs based on known effects can yield novel treatments while reducing costly exploration and experimentation.
“The behavior of slime molds, the fluctuations of stock markets, political polarization, and the dynamics of a global pandemic — many such systems across all domains of science exhibit complex behavior that emerge from a network of relatively simple interactions between many individual components. To understand and influence such systems we need theory and methods that transcend conventional disciplinary boundaries.”
— Prof. Tiago P. Peixoto
GeoAI: Spatial Sensing and Actuating
Prof. Bernd Resch introduced GeoAI (GeoSocial Artificial Intelligence)—where AI meets geography to analyze spatial and societal patterns. By combining machine learning, GIS and location-based data with social science methods, GeoAI already delivers real-time insights for smarter decision-making in many areas:
- Disaster Management – GeoAI tracks natural disasters in near real time, helping responders assess affected areas, allocate resources efficiently, and improve crisis planning.
- Urban Planning – AI-driven analysis of geo-social media and wearable sensor data identifies stress hotspots and infrastructure issues, guiding city design around citizen needs.
- Public Outreach – Through workshops and outreach programs, GeoAI research is made accessible, fostering awareness of AI, digital resilience, and climate change.
“The growing influence of digital data and tools, along with recent advancements in AI, is transforming research and our every day’s lives alike. The GeoSocial AI group aims to generate new AI-driven insights into geospatial and social processes through analysis of human-generated data like geo-social media posts, mobile phone data or wearable sensor data.”
– Prof. Bernd Resch
Interdisciplinary Research at the Core of IT:U
At IT:U, interdisciplinary research is not just an approach—it is the foundation of our mission. By integrating network science, AI, and geospatial analysis, we bridge the gap between technology, society, and real-world challenges. Our research philosophy encourages collaboration across disciplines, unlocking new insights that would not be possible within traditional academic boundaries.
“Interdisciplinarity is already in our name – Tiago Peixoto and Bernd Resch have impressively demonstrated the potential of interdisciplinary research in their First Lectures. We live in an age of data and networks – it is crucial to understand them. The combination of various data sets and analytical approaches opens up new, valuable insights.”
– Stefanie Lindstaedt, IT:U Founding President
Our Next Inaugural Lectures
Our Inaugural Lecture Series continues with insightful discussions on AI, neuroscience, and societal systems, bringing together experts from diverse fields.
📅 18 March 2025: “Neuro-(X)AI: Illuminating the Black Box of Minds and Machines” – Jie Mei (Assistant Professor of Computational Neuroscience) and Nina Hubig (Assistant Professor of Explainable Artificial Intelligence).
📅 2 April 2025: “An Interdisciplinary Approach to Social Norms and Practices: Theory, Work, and Rules” – Christian Hilbe (Professor of Game Theory and Evolutionary Dynamics), and Ben Wagner (Professor of Human Rights and Technology).