Major success for German research into social artificial intelligence

German Research Foundation extends Transregional Collaborative Research Centre 318 ‘Constructing Explainability’

Universität Paderborn

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The joint research area of Paderborn University and Bielefeld University focuses on research into social artificial intelligence.

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Credit: TRR 318

The Transregional Collaborative Research Centre ‘Constructing Explainability’ (TRR 318) at Paderborn and Bielefeld Universities, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), will be beginning its second funding phase from January 2026. Today, the DFG announced that the interdisciplinary research collaboration on the topic of ‘social artificial intelligence’ would be extended for a further three and a half years beyond its successful first term of four and a half years. Around 14 million euros of funding have been approved for this. 

‘This decision highlights the importance of research into social artificial intelligence and demonstrates the exceptional interdisciplinary expertise at an elite international level that we are pooling here at Paderborn and Bielefeld Universities’, said Professor Matthias Bauer, President of Paderborn University. ‘The universities are collaborating on this project as strong regional partners. This collaboration clearly showcases the strength of research and innovative capacity that sets Ostwestfalen-Lippe apart – this Collaborative Research Centre is an international flagship for the region’, added Professor Angelika Epple, Principal of Bielefeld University.

TRR 318 is a research collaboration between scholars from the fields of computer science, linguistics, media studies, philosophy, psychology, sociology and economics. Since July 2021, the team has been examining how artificial intelligence (AI) could be made more comprehensible. This goes beyond the traditional approaches of what is known as ‘explainable artificial intelligence’ and makes a vital contribution to developing systems that adapt to users’ needs. 

Explanation as a two-way process

Over the last four and half years, the research conducted by TRR 318 has demonstrated that explanations are only effective if they also take into account the perspective of the person receiving the explanation. ‘Although we often want a perfect explanation, one provided in the form of a monologue may not be successful. Instead, a dialogue creates an opportunity for the people on both sides to be actively involved in shaping the process of what they understand and how’, explained Professor Katharina Rohlfing, spokesperson for TRR318 and Professor of Psycholinguistics at Paderborn University. 

The researchers examined in empirical studies how people use language, gestures and reactions to signal what they have understood, and how this information could be used in AI systems. In addition, the team tackled the vital question of how explainability manifests itself in everyday contexts. Interviews were also conducted regarding AI applications that people are already using in everyday life. Current developments, such as the publication of large language modules like ChatGPT, were incorporated into the research at an early stage. 

Next steps: spotlight on context

The second funding phase will focus in particular on the context within which explanations are given. The scholars are applying the term to various situations, settings, people and interpretations, as well as to the shared knowledge built up via dialogue. During the next phase, they will be examining how explanations should be adapted to contextual circumstances. ‘In one context, a brief, technical explanation could be helpful, whilst another requires a more detailed, everyday approach. Explanation requirements can also vary within a single setting’, said Professor Philipp Cimiano, deputy spokesperson for TRR318 and Professor of Semantic Databases at Bielefeld University. In the future, AI systems should be able to respond to changes like this and flexibly shape dialogue with users.

‘We are delighted about the trust that the DFG have placed in us’, Professor Katharina Rohlfing said. ‘During the second phase, we look forward to taking responsibility for developing a more social form of explainable AI and applying these findings to practical settings so that AI explanations are comprehensible, helpful and relevant for users.’

Interdisciplinary collaboration continues

TRR 318 involves more than 60 researchers across 20 sub-projects in seven scientific disciplines. The projects are split into three research areas and supplemented by a graduate school to promote young academic talent. This project extension enables the outstanding interdisciplinary collaboration to continue and further consolidates the role of Paderborn and Bielefeld Universities as strong (inter)national hubs of AI research.

 

Early brain differences may explain sex-specific risks for addiction

Weill Cornell Medicine

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The roots of addiction risk may lie in how young brains function long before substance use begins, according to a new study from Weill Cornell Medicine. The investigators found that children with a family history of substance use disorder (SUD) already showed distinctive patterns of brain activity that differ between boys and girls, which may reflect separate predispositions for addiction. The research, published Nov. 21, in Nature Mental Health, analyzed brain scans from nearly 1,900 children ages 9 to 11 participating in the National Institutes of Health’s Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. 

“These findings may help explain why boys and girls often follow different paths toward substance use and addiction,” said senior author Dr. Amy Kuceyeski, professor of mathematics and neuroscience in the Department of Radiology and the Feil Family Brain & Mind Research Institute at Weill Cornell. “Understanding those pathways could eventually help guide how we tailor prevention and treatment for each group.”

Tracking Neural Energy Shifts

To explore these neural differences, the researchers used a computational approach called “network control theory” to measure how the brain transitions between different patterns of activity during rest. “When you lie in an MRI scanner, your brain isn’t idle; it cycles through recurring patterns of activation,” said first author Louisa Schilling, doctoral candidate in the Computational Connectomics Laboratory at Weill Cornell. “Network control theory lets us calculate how much effort the brain expends to shift between these patterns.” This transition energy indicates the brain’s flexibility, or its ability to shift from inward, self-reflective thought to external focus.

Disruptions in this process have been observed in people with heavy alcohol use and cocaine use disorder, and when under the influence of psychedelics.

Opposing Patterns in Boys and Girls

The study found that girls with a family history of SUD displayed higher transition energy in the brain’s default-mode network, which is associated with introspection. Compared with girls without such a family history, this elevated energy suggests their brains may work harder to shift gears from internal-focused thinking.

“That may mean greater difficulty disengaging from negative internal states like stress or rumination,” Schilling said. “Such inflexibility could set the stage for later risk, when substances are used as a way to escape or self-soothe.”

In contrast, boys with a family history showed lower transition energy in attention networks that control focus and response to external cues. “Their brains seem to require less effort to switch states, which might sound good, but it may lead to unrestrained behavior,”  Dr. Kuceyeski said. “They may be more reactive to their environment and more drawn to rewarding or stimulating experiences.”

Put simply, she said, “Girls may have a harder time stepping on the brakes, while boys may find it easier to step on the gas when it comes to risky behaviors and addiction.” Since the brain differences appeared before any substance use, they may indicate inherited or early-life environmental vulnerability rather than the effects of drugs.

Toward More Personalized Prevention

The researchers emphasize the need to analyze data from boys and girls separately, since averaging results across both groups masked the contrasts. Separate analyses revealed distinct patterns, underscoring the importance of sex as a biological variable in brain and behavioral research.

The findings mirror what clinicians see in adults: women are more likely to use substances to relieve distress and progress more quickly to dependence, while men are more likely to seek substances to feel euphoria or excitement. Identifying early neural vulnerabilities in adolescence could help guide prevention before substance abuse begins.

“Recognizing that boys and girls may travel different neural roads toward the same disorder can help tailor how we intervene,” Dr. Kuceyeski said. “For example, programs for girls might focus on coping with internal stress, while for boys the emphasis might be on attention and impulse control.”

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Journal

Nature Mental Health

Article Publication Date

21-Nov-2025

 

Research on optical communication and cryptocurrency

Boris Karanov and Frank Rhein receive grants from Carl Zeiss Foundation – “CZS Nexus” funding program supports interdisciplinary research in STEM disciplines

Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT)

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Two early-career researchers from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) convinced the expert reviewers of the Carl Zeiss Foundation with their projects. They now have five years to establish their research groups at KIT through the “CZS Nexus” funding program. Each researcher will receive approximately 1.5 million euros. Boris Karanov is developing new algorithms for digital signal processing in optical communication systems, while Frank Rhein is investigating how the CO2 emissions produced by cryptocurrency mining can be reduced by means of physical processes.

 

“We are very excited about the success of Boris Karanov and Frank Rhein,” says Professor Oliver Kraft, KIT’s Vice President Academic Affairs. “The fact that both young scientists managed to acquire funds from the Carl Zeiss Foundation highlights the quality and topicality of their research.”

 

Optimization of Digital Signal Processing in Optical Networks

Over 95% of the global data is transferred via optical networks, with demands on speed and data exchange growing rapidly. However, the rising data volume leads to nonlinear effects that affect signal quality. To reduce these interferences, two approaches exist: Classic algorithms are based on mathematical models, which are particularly suitable for linear systems, while advanced methods, in contrast, utilize machine learning, especially neural networks that analyze system behavior directly from the data. These methods can model nonlinear phenomena, but require high computing power.

 

Dr. Boris Karanov from the Communications Engineering Lab aims to combine both methods to understand nonlinear relationships while benefiting from existing knowledge about optical systems. Karanov will conduct comprehensive lab experiments to validate the new algorithms. “With our research, we want to ensure that optical communication systems maintain their performance even with increasing traffic,” says Karanov. “Our approach can help to transmit significantly more data in shorter time and over greater distances – with less power consumption.”

 

Reduction of CO2 Emissions in Connection with Cryptocurrencies

Most cryptocurrencies are based on blockchain technology, a kind of decentralized ledger. With Bitcoin, blockchain security is guaranteed by the “proof-of-work” consensus mechanism: Powerful networked computers compete to solve complex mathematical problems. The first one to solve a problem may add a new block to the blockchain and is rewarded with Bitcoins. The blockchain is trustworthy, as manipulating it would require an unachievable amount of work and computing power. However, this security comes at the price of massive CO2 emissions.

 

The goal of Dr. Frank Rhein’s research project is to transfer this principle to the physical world and reduce CO2 emissions by developing a “proof of physical work.” For this purpose, he is developing physical one-way functions, which are easily executable but do not allow any conclusions to be drawn about their input. An example of this is creating pigment structures by printing color pigments on top of each other, which generates unique patterns. Subsequent optical analysis yields an unambiguous result, and verification is only possible if the same process and identical materials are used. “A blockchain protocol based on this principle uses expensive physical resources or time instead of cheap electricity,” Rhein explains. “High costs limit profitability, thus reducing CO2 emissions.” 

 

The CZS Nexus Funding Program of the Carl Zeiss Foundation

The Carl Zeiss Foundation funds research and teaching in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). The CZS Nexus funding program supports outstanding young scientists who wish to implement exciting ideas at the interfaces between the different STEM fields. They have the opportunity to establish their own interdisciplinary research groups and are thus supported on their path to an academic career. The funding amounts up to 1.5 million euros per junior research group over a period of five or six years. 

 

In close partnership with society, KIT develops solutions for urgent challenges – from climate change, energy transition and sustainable use of natural resources to artificial intelligence, sovereignty and an aging population. As The University in the Helmholtz Association, KIT unites scientific excellence from insight to application-driven research under one roof – and is thus in a unique position to drive this transformation. As a University of Excellence, KIT offers its more than 10,000 employees and 22,800 students outstanding opportunities to shape a sustainable and resilient future. KIT – Science for Impact.

When the air gets dry, cockroaches cuddle: Binghamton University study reveals survival strategy

An experiment by Binghamton biology undergrads gives insight into the behavior of Madagascar hissing cockroaches

Binghamton University

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When conditions get too dry, Madagascar hissing cockroaches like to "cuddle". Under certain conditions, the large insects gather in groups, with many participants in physical contact with one another. According to recent research from Binghamton University’s Biological Sciences program, this strategy may prevent the cockroaches from drying out.

The new study, “Plastic Behavioral Responses to Ambient Relative Humidity Influence Aggregation in a Large Gregarious Insect”, recently appeared in the journal Ethology, and was co-authored by Binghamton University Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Assistant Professor and senior author Lindsey Swierk, as well as Alison Kryger, Kayla Huang, Kayhan Tabrizifard and Justin Yang, who were all students in Swierk's fall Animal Behavior 2024 undergraduate course.

“The main takeaway from our study is that Madagascar hissing cockroaches actively adjust their social behavior based on humidity, showing that even large adult insects rely on behavioral plasticity to cope with environmental stressors,” explained Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Lindsey Swierk. “The students’ research projects are generally outstanding — and many of these student groups are motivated to submit their research for publication following the end of the course."

This is the fourth student group from Swierk’s Animal Behavior class to have their work published in a peer-reviewed journal since 2022; another paper from a different group is currently undergoing peer review. The paper’s fifth author, Alexandra Martin, PhD ’25, is a recent graduate of Swierk’s lab and offered guidance to the undergraduates on experimental design and data interpretation.

Adjusting to climate change

Madagascar hissing cockroaches are around 2 to 3 inches long and widely used in educational settings. Surprisingly, many aspects of their natural history aren’t well understood, Swierk said.

In their native Madagascar, these insects form large social groups. The African island experiences both a wet season and a dry season, and Swierk’s Animal Behavior students found that the roaches’ tendency to aggregate is connected with those swings in humidity.

When the humidity is low, cockroaches in the experiment were significantly more likely to gather into groups, with more of them in physical contact with one another. Aggregation was less common under high humidity, and groups that did form included fewer individuals, the researchers discovered.

“In general, insects can lose water pretty quickly because of their high surface area to volume ratios, and so humidity really affects their abilities to retain moisture,” Swierk explained. “Our research shows that even larger adult insects, that may in theory be more resistant to low humidity than smaller or larval insects, still use aggregation as a flexible behavioral adaptation to reduce the risk of water loss.”

When the air is dry, insects lose water through their cuticle and through breathing. Physiological adaptations can help them fend off desiccation, including a layer of hydrocarbons on their exoskeletons and changes in metabolic rates. Aggregation is another such strategy, which has been previously observed in small insects and insect larvae.

By grouping together, the cockroaches create a type of micro-climate that increases humidity in their immediate area. But this strategy comes with costs; aggregation could increase social competition or make the insects easier prey for other animals.

Hissing cockroaches, who dwell on the forest floor, play an important role in the environment as decomposers and prey for other animals. Changes in their behavior could end up influencing the larger ecosystem, which is already experiencing the impact of climate change; Madagascar’s dry seasons are becoming longer and more severe, with the humidity in some regions dropping to very low levels, Swierk said.

“Because we now know that these cockroaches adjust their aggregation behavior in response to humidity, more frequent or extreme dry periods could push them to aggregate more often to conserve water, which could potentially affect their foraging, reproduction, or broader ecological roles as decomposers,” she said.

Most likely, humidity is only one of many factors that influence aggregation among Madagascar cockroaches. Whether the hissing cockroach findings apply more widely to other large insect species remains to be seen.

“Our study suggests that such aggregation behavior under low humidity levels could more generally apply to larger insects, as well as small or larval insects, but of course this will also depend on species’ natural history and social behaviors,” Swierk said.

About Binghamton University

Binghamton University, State University of New York, is the #1 public university in New York and a top-100 institution nationally. Founded in 1946, Binghamton combines a liberal arts foundation with professional and graduate programs, offering more than 130 academic undergraduate majors, minors, certificates, concentrations, emphases, tracks and specializations, plus more than 90 master's, 40 doctoral and 50 graduate certificate programs. The University is home to nearly 18,000 students and more than 150,000 alumni worldwide. Binghamton's commitment to academic excellence, innovative research, and student success has earned it recognition as a Public Ivy and one of the best values in American higher education.

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Journal

Ethology

DOI

10.1111/eth.70026 

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Plastic Behavioral Responses to Ambient Relative Humidity Influence Aggregation in a Large Gregarious Insect