[IRIS | LLiS] IRIS receives funding to strengthen its teaching portfolio in the field of cybersecurity

The Interchange Forum for Reflecting on Intelligent Systems (IRIS) at the University of Stuttgart focuses on the critical reflection of intelligent systems and their impact on education, work, and society. As an interdisciplinary research network, IRIS has already achieved considerable success in attracting external funding, both for the structural strengthening of interdisciplinary research activities with the projects “Reflecting Intelligent Systems for Diversity, Demography, and Democracy” (IRIS3D) and “Human-Intelligent Systems Interaction and Teaming” (HISIT), both funded by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research, and the Arts, as well as increased visibility through public engagement activities, such as the project “Questions for AI Colleagues” in Science Year 2022, funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. With the project "Web of Deception“ (Netz der Täuschung), the Vector Foundation is now providing €140,000 in funding to further develop IRIS's teaching offerings in cybersecurity.

The project addresses an issue that has become increasingly pressing with the rise of AI: the widespread use of social networks by children and young people brings both expanded opportunities and risks and dangers. Attempts at deception, manipulation, and fraud have become ubiquitous due to the scaled use of AI methods, making it increasingly difficult to reliably assess the authenticity of information and protect oneself effectively against threats. To sensitize children and young people to dealing with such challenges, an interdisciplinary team led by Prof. Dr. Maria Wirzberger is developing a simulation-based, interactive digital learning program within the “Netz der Täuschung” (Network of Deception) project. As an approach to comprehensive competence building in the field of cybersecurity, it is designed specifically for use in schools in the subject “computer science and media education” in grades 5 and 6. The continuous involvement of teachers, parents, and the children and young people themselves is a central component of the project, which will be funded from October 2025 to March 2027. There are also plans to integrate the developed program into teacher training and continuing education.