How about through a song sung by Blonder Engel in Upper Austrian dialect! An ancillary study has shown that an idea developed at the JKU’s LIT Robopsychology Lab actually works. The song was performed yesterday at the Kepler Salon Linz.

"A Liadl, ans üwa KI" was composed in Upper Austrian dialect in an effort to appeal to completely different target groups than, for example, technical English-language publications on the topic. As artificial intelligence (AI) has long since become part of our everyday lives, whether we want it - and are aware of it - or not, the song aims to encourage as many people as possible to think about AI and how it is - and can be - used, and to engage in further discussions and debate about the topic.

The lyrics are available to download for free in the original version (Upper Austrian dialect) as well as in a High German transcription, and in English. The song can serve as discussion material for school classes, discussion panels, or workshops as material to start talking about the topic AI. We welcome any additional ideas to add verses or translate into other languages!

Citizens, AI Experts and Artists Get Involved
Funded by the Ludwig Boltzmann Society in an effort to creatively find answers to pressing questions about the everyday use of AI and appeal as many people as possible, the JKU’s LIT Robopsychology Lab worked together with 20 citizen scientists (citizens interested in actively taking part in research), artists, and AI experts last fall as part of an interactive project titled "How to Explain AI". The result was a song titled, "A Liadl, ans üwa KI"!

Blonder Engel, a locally-based, eloquent, comedic artist, drew on his own special style to create the beautifully expressive lyrics based on the content.

An accompanying impact study by the LIT Robopsychology Lab has shown that a creative presentation about AI can offer genuine added value. After involving approximately 100 test listeners, the "Liadl üwa KI" was then compared to a spoken radio report of the same duration and containing equal content. Univ. Prof. Dr. Martina Mara, head of the LIT Robopsychology Lab, explained: "Our test subjects rated the AI song as just as informative as the radio report, but much more entertaining, resulting in a sevenfold higher probability of listening to the song again on a daily basis. Over time, repeatedly engaging with the content positively impacted listeners' AI literacy."

JKU Rector Stefan Koch underscores just how significant these kinds of projects are: "Universities have an important responsibility to conduct research on new technologies, including the opportunities and risks, and educate the public. When it comes to raising society’s awareness on these types of technologies, especially AI, engaging in critical public discourse is enormously important, especially as these kinds of technologies will continue to impact our everyday lives."

The song “A Liadl, ans üwa KI”, including the option to download the lyrics: https://www.jku.at/en/lit-robopsychology-lab/research/projects/how-to-explain-ai/song/

The music video: „A Liadl, ans üwa KI“ on YouTube: https://youtu.be/XXRVEU6K77w, opens an external URL in a new window