From 9 to 11 September, DLD (Digital, Life, Design) will host the first DLD Future Hub: Impact of AI. The focus will be on two of the greatest challenges and opportunities of our time: Circular Economy and AI.
New opportunities in the healthcare sector, industrial transformation and change in publishing – today, no area remains untouched by AI. Its transformative power, impact and limitations, as well as the concrete relationship between humans and AI, were at the centre of the DLD Future Hub: Impact of AI. At the conference, held from 9 to 11 September at Amerikahaus in Munich, international experts from politics, technology, science and culture shared their perspectives and discussed solutions to the challenges of our future.
“DLD is not just about business, it’s about the bigger picture: AI is changing everything, opening up new opportunities and bringing us closer to a functioning circular economy,” DLD founder Steffi Czerny opened the conference. “The next three days are a call to action, because circularity and AI are inseparably linked. Here we are opening up future perspectives.”
The BAIOSPHERE Days (10–11 September), co-hosted by DLD and the Bavarian AI network BAIOSPHERE, focused on AI and its significance for companies, society and individuals alike. Stefan Mesken, Chief Scientist at DeepL, spoke about building AI-driven organisations, while Barack Obama’s former speechwriter Terry Szuplat highlighted the importance of human vision and values in times of AI. American author Douglas Rushkoff explored human resilience and how to strengthen it against the backdrop of technological developments.
Also taking to the stage were the two co-chairs of the Bavarian AI Council: Fabian Theis (Helmholtz Munich) spoke about how science is being advanced through AI, while Björn Ommer (LMU) highlighted the transformative power of AI in driving the shift from an information to a knowledge society. Nicholas Zamiska of Palantir Technologies called for closer cooperation between government and business in the fields of security, healthcare and counterterrorism.
The two days were opened on Wednesday morning by Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder, who described the conference as innovative and inspiring: “AI is still at the beginning and will be a revolutionary step for humanity that will change everything. As a federal state we want to be right at the forefront: that is why we need a Bavarian AI gigafactory – an ideal combination with our core strengths in mechanical engineering, automotive, life sciences and aerospace. This way the colours of the future will remain white and blue! But Europe must not be timid and bureaucratic again. We need a Freedom Act for AI – for more freedom in research.”
The importance of AI for Europe was also addressed by Eva Maydell, Member of the European Parliament. In her keynote she underlined the interplay of innovation and strategy as key to competitiveness: “Europe doesn’t need to win the AI race by being first - it can win by being right.”
Against the backdrop of current geopolitical tensions, Europe’s strength was also on the agenda during Circular Day (9 September), curated jointly by the international innovation community DLD and BMW. Benedikt Franke of the Munich Security Conference called for cross-border collaboration: “We are operating in an environment of uncertainty. Only one thing is certain: we are vulnerable. We need to be aware of this and seek to reduce that risk.” He named alternative supply chains and the equal involvement of all countries as possible solutions.
The day demonstrated in an interdisciplinary way how the combination of AI and circular economy can lead to greater sustainability. Yossi Matias, Vice President at Google, emphasised the importance of continually advancing AI in this context:
“Our goal is to make generative AI more efficient and more sustainable.” Also on stage were Italian architect Stefano Boeri, Valencia city councillor Paula Llobet Vilarrasa and Ke Wang from the World Resources Institute.
At both Circular Day and the BAIOSPHERE Days, DLD and its partners placed the great issues of our time in the spotlight. With the BAIOSPHERE Days, DLD and the Bavarian AI Agency built on DLD Munich 25, which in January launched the 20th anniversary year of DLD. After a half-day BAIOSPHERE Track earlier this year, DLD and BAIOSPHERE continued with two full days of connecting Bavarian and international expertise.
What the DLD Future Hub: Impact of AI impressively demonstrated with around 600 participants across three days is this: New synergies are not only a prerequisite for a strong technology hub in Bavaria and for Europe’s independence. They are essential if we are to successfully meet the challenges of our time.
Image material from the DLD Future Hub: Impact of AI is available here: DLD Future Hub 2025
You can rewatch all panels on the DLD YouTube channel: DLD Conference - YouTube
