HIFIS All-Hands: from AI to infrastructure and back to people

AI is rapidly becoming part of everyday research. We in HIFIS are interested in the practical questions it raises. We’d like researchers not to have to assemble 20 tools themselves, we’d like every institute not to have to solve the same integration problems independently.

AI needs access to research data, it needs authentication and authorisation, it has to fit into existing pipelines whenever possible and workflows must remain reproducible and traceable.

To start a discussion around these topics, the first day of this year’s HIFIS & Friends All-Hands Meeting (9 September 2026) will comprise:

• a keynote by Keno März (DKFZ), who will share how his group uses AI agents in surgery research and the challenges that come with them: e.g. data availability and scientific bias;
• where we’re heading with HIFIS, including on security;
• contributions on technical integration possibilities, e.g. from Galaxy and Blablador;
• a presentation of the HAIFlow project, a Helmholtz initiative led by CISPA and DKFZ on “AI in administration” (in the broad sense);
• and an interactive session, where we’d like people to bring their workflow, their integration challenge or simply their questions, and have an opportunity to discuss them with tech experts, and vice versa.

For our second day (10 September 2026), we close the loop back to the human brain with a focus on (human) learning, with:

• Titus Brinker (DKFZ) who will bridge the two days with a keynote on explainable AI in skin cancer diagnostics and how it also enables humans to learn;
• where we’re heading with Helmholtz Learn and how we consider its role in the overall training portfolio;
• and an interactive session, to discuss training needs and the possibilities offered by blended learning.

What to do now?

• if not already done: register ¹ ;
• add your ideas/questions for the interactive sessions to these shared notes;
• help us spread the word to researchers you’re in contact with at nearby Helmholtz centers (DKFZ of course, but also GSI or CISPA).

See you at the Communication Center of DKFZ, Heidelberg, Germany on September 9!