Making AI Tangible: inIT Hands Over Energy Ergometer to the Deutsches Museum Bonn

How much muscle power does it take to generate an AI video? Visitors to the Deutsches Museum Bonn can now find out for themselves in a sporty way. The Institute for Industrial Information Technology (inIT) at the TH OWL has developed an interactive demonstrator and officially handed it over on-site.

Handover of the exhibit by Pranish KC and Benedikt Lücke to Ralph Burmester and Jörg Bradenahl from the Deutsches Museum Bonn.

Artificial intelligence is omnipresent in our daily lives, yet the enormous energy consumption behind its computing processes usually remains invisible. To raise awareness of this issue, inIT staff member and student in the Masters Information Technology program Pranish KC conceptualized a very special exhibit. Together with Benedikt Lücke, the completed AI energy ergometer was set up and put into operation at the museum.

From Powering on a PC to an AI Clip in Six Levels

The concept behind the demonstrator is quite simple, yet physically demanding: museum visitors have to pedal to generate electrical energy. They must "pedal their way" through a total of six different levels, each illustrating the rising energy demands of modern technology.

The scale ranges from simple tasks like turning on a PC (Level 1) to the ultimate challenge: generating an AI video clip that lasts just five seconds (Level 6). Anyone attempting to reach this final level quickly realizes just how much physical energy is embedded in the complex algorithms running in the background.

Commissioning Immediately Sparks Competition

During the official commissioning and handover, Ralph Burmester and Jörg Bradenahl from the museum management expressed their enthusiasm. Once setup was complete, those involved alongside the museum staff wasted no time in testing the demonstrator themselves. This instantly sparked a sense of competition, with a lighthearted race quickly breaking out over who could complete all six levels the fastest.

Continuing a Successful Cooperation

The AI ergometer, that has been developed in the context of AI-Academy project, is already the second exhibit that the Lemgo-based research institute has realized for the Deutsches Museum Bonn. This successful collaboration is set to continue in the future: during the handover, initial inspiring ideas for further joint exhibits and demonstrators were already generated, aiming to keep making complex science easy to understand and experience firsthand.

The AI ergometer is now ready for action at the Deutsches Museum Bonn, waiting for curious – and active – visitors to try it out!