Who Will Become an Expert When AI Does the Work? Katharina Simbeck Gives Keynote at Women in AI Conference
Prof. Dr. Katharina Simbeck from HTW Berlin delivered a keynote at the Women in AI Conference: Empowering Innovation in the Age of Agency, hosted by the Google AI Center in Berlin. The conference brought together leading female experts from software engineering, data science, academia, and industry.
In her keynote, “After Humboldt: Who Will Become an Expert When AI Does the Work?”, Katharina Simbeck explored how generative AI is changing professional development and the way expertise is acquired. As tasks such as coding, research, analysis, and writing are increasingly delegated to AI, traditional learning pathways for young professionals may be disrupted. These tasks have traditionally helped early-career professionals develop practical knowledge, critical judgement, and expertise.
She also addressed the implications for higher education, questioning how universities can continue to foster independent intellectual capabilities in an environment increasingly shaped by AI. Beyond individual skills, her talk raised broader questions about professional and intellectual sovereignty, including the influence of powerful AI systems on the knowledge and perspectives available to us.
Her keynote highlighted the role of higher education in fostering independent thinking, professional judgement, and the ability to critically engage with AI-generated knowledge
