On October 29, 2025, the Day of Computer Science was held by the Faculty of Computer Science at the University of Duisburg-Essen in cooperation with Fraunhofer IMS at the Fraunhofer inHaus Center in Duisburg. Under the motto “Bits, Bots and Business – AI at the Intersection of Research and Industry,” the event offered a diverse program featuring panel talks, discussions, and an interactive poster session. More than 30 posters showcased current research projects from the faculty’s departments, ranging from completed studies to research in progress.

The Chair of Information Systems and Software Engineering (SOFTEC) also took part in the event. Jan Laufer, Leonardo Banh, and Gero Strobel presented their current research titled “Towards True Feelings: A Design Theory for Compassionate AI.”

While today’s AI systems are often optimized for efficiency and objectivity, the concept of Compassionate AI takes a different approach: it aims to recognize suffering and actively contribute to its alleviation. The proposed design theory argues that moving from efficiency-driven AI to truly compassionate AI is not merely a technical advancement, but rather a fundamental shift in system design thinking.

The research focuses on the field of assistive technologies for blind and visually impaired people. This group experiences various forms of suffering, from perceptual and navigational challenges to loss of independence and social or infrastructural barriers. Moreover, individual needs vary widely depending on residual vision, the timing of vision loss, and environmental factors such as accessibility in the local context.

Generative AI opens new opportunities to enhance existing assistive technologies such as apps (e.g., Seeing AI) or wearables (e.g., Ray-Ban Meta Glasses). However, such systems are often designed for mass-market applications without fundamentally addressing the specific needs and forms of suffering experienced by blind and visually impaired individuals. Compassionate AI may therefore represent the necessary paradigm shift toward truly human-centered AI systems.

As part of the project, 50 interviews with blind and visually impaired participants have already been conducted and are currently being analyzed. The insights gained will inform the development of prototypes for future applications—potentially including our robot dog as a robotic guide dog in the future.

We look forward to seeing where this research will lead and would like to thank the organizers of the Day of Computer Science 2025 for an inspiring and successful event!