Does AI Know That It Knows Nothing?

Can artificial intelligence think - or is it just pretending? Computer scientist Katharina Zweig is one of the leading voices in German AI research and warns against confusing human and machine capabilities.

In her book "Does AI Know That It Knows Nothing?" (Heyne 2025), she explains why language models sound convincing despite lacking genuine understanding, and what consequences autonomous AI agents might have. Zweig and Frauke Alves (MPI for Multidisciplinary Sciences) discuss together the limits of artificial intelligence and our responsibility in dealing with it.