Humans remain masters of AI: Opportunities and challenges in the Ruhr area

Humans remain masters of AI: Opportunities and challenges in the Ruhr area

On Monday, September 29th, the 2025 annual reception of the Council for Economic and Social Affairs took place at the Diocesan Academy “Die Wolfsburg” in Mülheim an der Ruhr. The event focused on the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence (AI) for the economy of the Ruhr area. Bishop Franz-Josef Overbeck emphasized that the responsibility for decisions always remains with people. The final decision must always be made by humans, although AI is capable of accelerating processes and facilitating analyses. This highlights how important it is to combine technological progress with social responsibility, especially at a time when the German economy is stagnating and AI and digitalization are seen as a “lifeline,” reports Lokalklick.eu.

The need for outstanding specialists was a central theme, particularly in the context of an aging population. Radiologist Johannes Haubold provided information about the use of AI in radiology to support the diagnosis of bone fractures, which underlined the potential of this technology. Uta Wilkens pointed out that the integration of AI into companies also requires good change management in order to efficiently exploit the efforts and opportunities. The final consensus of the discussion was that AI has significant potential in medicine, business and research, but control must always remain in human hands.

Ethical dimensions of artificial intelligence

But what does this mean for our social values? As UNESCO makes clear in its recommendation on the ethical use of AI, the focus is on respecting and promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms. The aim is to design digital transformation in such a way that it supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In a complex two-year process, experts and regional stakeholders were included in the discussion in order to create an international legal basis for the responsible use of AI. This assessment can be found in a comprehensive global reference framework that defines concrete political tasks in eleven policy areas, for example in the areas of the environment, education and health. The precautionary principle also plays a role: If there is a reasonable possibility of negative consequences, the use of certain AI systems should be reconsidered unesco.de informed.

Another important aspect is highlighted by the German Ethics Council: The use of AI must expand human development and not restrict it. The opportunities and risks of technology must be carefully weighed, because AI should not stand in the way of human intelligence, responsibility and judgment. The ethical assessment of AI also plays a central role here, which includes both technical understanding and the interactions between humans and technology. The recommendations range from quality assurance in the medical sector to the promotion of social interactions in the educational sector and regulations for public communication. The Ethics Council, as in ethikrat.org described, ultimately demands that human control options be preserved and access to the basis for decision-making be guaranteed.

Overall, it shows that artificial intelligence is a complex topic that brings with it both opportunities and challenges. People must be able to take responsibility for technological developments and ensure that ethical principles are not lost sight of.