30-YEAR ICG-PARTY – Speech of Thomas Pock

As  of today, we can definitely say  that we are living in very interesting  but also quite challenging  years,  as they mark the years of the rise of artificial intelligence.  In fact, we are now closer than ever before to something  called the “singularity” which  marks a hypothetical future event where the artificial intelligence  surpasses human intelligence  and capabilities. The concept of “singularity” draws inspiration from the work of the mathematician and  computer  scientist   Vernor  Vinge, who popularized   the   term   in   his   1993  essay    “The  Coming

Technological Singularity.”

Does anybody know the content of its abstract? It starts with … “Within 30 years, we will have the technological means to create superhuman intelligence…” This makes me immediately feel to ask the following question: “Is it a coincidence that ICG was founded around the same time?” I guess no!

In fact we are all very grateful to our founding father, Franz Leberl, that in 1992 he literally had the “vision”  to found our institute of computer graphics and vision which became one of the largest and most successful institutes at our faculty and is today a world-class  research  institute  in  the  field of  visual computing.  This is not only thanks to your creativity and energy but also to your instinct in identifying and promoting scientific talents. Thank you Franz for being such a visionary person and that we can now enjoy the fruits of the tree you planted 30 years ago.

Does  anybody know how the  abstract  of  the Vinge’s  essay continues?

“…Shortly after, the human era will be ended.”

Hold on! Before getting into panic, let me stress that the essay of Vinge is of course  considered    as “science  fiction” but still,  it should  remind us  that we have to be very careful with such powerful technology. Therefore, it must be an important part of our researchers responsibility to be mindful on its development and usage.

Coming back to the advantages of such technology, it is nowadays a very natural to ask an AI system like chatGPT something like:

“What do you think about the Institute of Computer Graphics and

Vision at Graz University of Technology?”.

The answer is prompt: “The Institute of Computer Graphics and Vision   is  a  renowned research  institution   located at  Graz University of Technology in Austria. It focuses on various aspects of computer graphics, computer vision, and related fields. The institute  conducts   cutting-edge   research  and contributes  to advancements   in  areas   such   as   visual   computing, image processing, 3D reconstruction, virtual reality, augmented reality, and more. The ICG collaborates with national and international partners,   including academia, industry,   and  other  research institutions. Its researchers and faculty members are involved in numerous research projects, publications, and conferences. The institute also offers educational programs, including Bachelor’s, Master’s,   and  Ph.D. degrees,   providing students   with  the opportunity to study  and specialize  in computer graphics and vision.  Graz University  of Technology  itself  is  one of Austria’s leading technical universities, known for its strong emphasis on engineering and technical disciplines. The university has a good reputation for  research  and education, and the  Institute  of Computer Graphics and Vision is an important part of its research landscape.”

What else could I add to thise rather than that I completely agree! The    institute    has    achieved  significant    milestones    and

accomplishments over the years. Here are some key figures which

where kindly collected by our excellent  office team (Christina, Anna, Charlotte, and Danira).

Our third party funding has shown substantial growth, with 20.3

million euros secured between 1992 and 2011, and an impressive increase to 42 million euros between 2012 and 2022.

In terms  of research  projects,  the institute  has a strong  track record. A total of 250 projects have been completed since 1992, with 26 projects currently active. Among these, 33 projects were funded by the EU, 45 by the FWF (Austrian Science Fund), 90 by the FFG (Austrian Research Promotion  Agency), and 3 more were so   called  CD-Laboratories.   The   remaining projects   involve collaborations with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The institute has made substantial contributions to the academic literature.  From  1992 to 2022, researchers  affiliated with the institute have published 1,515 conference papers and 754 journal papers or book chapters.

The international recognition of the institute’s achievements can be seen through the receipt of 110 awards.

The institute’s staff has grown steadily. Over the past decade, an average of 58 individuals have been employed by the institute. As of today, the institute has 75 staff members.

The  institute  has  also  played a significant  role in  fostering academic development. Since   1992, it  has  supervised   the completion of 152 PhD theses and 400 master’s theses.

These figures demonstrate the institute’s dedication to research excellence, its ability to secure funding, and its contribution to knowledge generation  through  publications   and  academic achievements.