Fail and Grow: Why Failure Stories Matter in AI Development and Innovation

Particularly in the field of AI, public attention tends to focus on successful innovations presented like glossy magazine covers. Moments of failure and repeated setbacks along the path to professional success are rarely shared publicly, and even more rarely voluntarily. This session aims to change that. Initiated by the AI career guidance initiative #I_make_AI (imakeai.org; founded by Willms-Gymnasium Delmenhorst, Germany) and the Barthel Foundation (Varel, Germany) the session “Fail and Grow” brings employees from the AI ecosystem to the stage to share insights into their professional journeys, including the failures they have encountered along the way. Through an interactive Q&A, participants are invited to ask questions, reflect on their own experiences, and gain a more realistic and encouraging view of what it means to build a future in AI.