Due to the restrictions because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the lecture will be held asynchronous online from Tuesday 26th May, 5.00 pm (CET). We will meet with Florian Sprenger for an online-discussion Wednesday 27th April, 5.00 pm (CET).

Lecture by Florian Sprenger: “Virtual Environments – Locating Autonomous Cars”

Using the example of autonomous vehicles, I would like to show that their autonomous behavior cannot be explained by the algorithmic transformation of inputs into outputs, but requires a concept that focuses on their temporality and mediality in order to explain their adaptability to an unpredictable environment. By virtualizing their surroundings, they localize themselves. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze more precisely how these environments are produced by technical methods of combining sensor data and filter algorithms. These methods produce the possibilities of alternatives, which underlie micro-decisions—in opposition to algorithms that are invariably determined.