Computers with Salaries and Cemeteries: AI Ethics from Industry to Philosophy to Science Fiction

Dr. Frederik F. Flöther is Chief Quantum Officer at QuantumBasel and a member of the University of Basel Center for Quantum Computing and Quantum Coherence (QC2). Frederik previously held roles at IBM and was responsible for healthcare and life sciences at IBM Quantum. He was also elected to the IBM Academy of Technology and appointed Master Inventor and Qiskit Advocate. Frederik's research interests include technological applications as well as philosophical and societal implications of quantum computing and AI. He holds a PhD in physics with a focus on photonic quantum computing from the University of Cambridge as well as a professional certificate in quantum computing applications from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Frederik has authored over 50 filed patents, peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, and white papers.

Dr. Maria Fay is AI Lead at SAP Switzerland AG and Guest Researcher at the European Research Center for Information Systems / University of Münster. With over a decade of global experience in business and technology consulting, Maria has been advising organizations on the adoption of emerging technologies, most recently focusing on AI. She holds degrees in business economics, informatics, and sustainability, and earned her PhD researching how big data analytics creates business value. Maria has lectured on digital business models and serves on multiple advisory boards. She is also a podcast host on sustainability topics, an active mentor, and a passionate advocate for ethical and inclusive innovation.

Dr. Christian Hugo Hoffmann is an AI entrepreneur. He holds a PhD in finance from the University of St. Gallen. His first company, based on his doctoral project, was dedicated to a risk management solution using AI. Specifically, it integrated non-classical approaches of formal epistemology such as Wolfgang Spohn's ranking theory or fuzzy logic for medium-sized and smaller banks. Since then, Christian has worked in executive positions in Switzerland and has co-founded companies in Germany, Switzerland, and Malawi. His current enterprises include the real estate company House of Lab Science, and he also serves as head of the AI Startup Center in Zurich. He actively advocates more AI responsibility in his writings, speeches, and practical entrepreneurship.