Professor Mayer is part of the Asia-European Consortium on AI Research (AECAIR), a network with partners from Asia and Germany that aims to create a European-Asian forum for dialog on Artificial Intelligence (AI). The network pursues open discussions on social, political and economic topics in addition to ethical and other questions on the social effects of AI. This includes a focus on best practice solutions, common challenges, new geo-technological developments (“geotech”), and opportunities for cooperation, but also on the specific implications this may have for international order and conflict. The network is guided by scientific expertise and is directed towards close exchange with practitioners from industry, administrations, think tanks and politics.

The German-Chinese nucleus consists of Professor Mayer at the Center for Advanced Security, Strategic and Integration Studies (CASSIS) of the University of Bonn, partners from the Konrad-Adenauer Foundation in Shanghai, Singapore and Germany, the Intellisia Institute in Guangzhou, City University of Hong Kong (AI and Society Research Institute), as well as IP-tec.Co, German Consulting Think Tank for Digital Governance, in Berlin (Denise Feldner).

Since the foundation of the network in July 2019, an international conference was held in Guangzhou in fall 2019 (Artificial Intelligence in China and the World), a virtual seminar series in June and July 2020 (Innovation in Health Governance and AI, see here), a virtual seminar (Framing the Future of AI) and a international online conference in December 2021 (Fourth AECAIR International Conference). After having increased outreach to India, Singapore, Japan, Vietnam, USA, Korea, among others, the network now aims to find more partners from the European environment.