Dear colleagues, friends, and partners,
Our fourth cohort is drawing to a close, but we are still basking in the excitement of our Demo Night event, "Towards Digital Sufficiency," co-hosted with One Planet Lab (WWF).
We are excited to replicate this catalytic energy in the weeks and months to come with our upcoming community events - read on to find out more! |
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Past Events |  | AI or the ecological transition - do you think we should have to choose?
We certainly don't think so!
For the first time, the Prototype Fund CH and One Planet Lab Schweiz (WWF) joined forces to bring sufficiency and digital innovation onto one stage, as this year's cohort presented what they’ve built over the last six months: fresh, open-source prototypes designed to reduce ecological footprints through digital means.
We send our sincerest thanks to our speakers and contributors from
Mercator Foundation Switzerland and Christoph Merian Stiftung, as well as Prototype Fund Jury President Hannes Gassert, National Councillor Gerhard Andrey, and keynote speaker Hugues Ferreboeuf.
Together, we explored how far (open) technology, sufficiency, and systemic change can drive Switzerland toward a resilient, resource-light future - and we hope you enjoyed many insightful exchanges.
As this fourth iteration of the Prototype Fund Switzerland reaches its conclusion, we are looking forward to a period of reflection and hopeful strategizing for this program's exciting new future - the nature of which we will eagerly share with you later this year!
| | | | | Upcoming Events |
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 | Survey: Chatbots, Transparency & Data Donation
A current Data Science study is exploring under which conditions of transparency and user control Swiss residents would be willing to donate their chatbot conversations for open-source AI research. The survey takes about 8 minutes to complete: Participate here → https://chat-study.ailights.org/To capture a broad range of perspectives, responses from different age groups are especially welcome. Feel free to share the link with adult family members or friends. Thank you for sharing your contributions to this student research project before February 15th. | | |  | March 20 to 29, 2026: After The Algorithm
A new festival in Zurich explores AI through the lens of art and science. From 20 to 29 March 2026, Zurich will host 'After The Algorithm' – the city's first festival of its kind.
This innovative event uses art and science to explore the impact of artificial "intelligence" (AI) on society. Featuring 25 works in the exhibition and 15 additional events, the festival makes AI and algorithms accessible to a wide audience – moving beyond technical jargon and hype. It offers visitors
the chance to engage with AI systems both critically and playfully.
The exhibition programme showcases renowned artists and presents current Swiss research projects in the form of interactive installations. Works include:
● Martyna Marciniak (PL), winner of the Prix Ars Electronica 2025, presents 'Deep Reality Markets', an installation reflecting on the logic and absurdities of global AI corporations.
● Lauren Lee McCarthy (USA), creator of the open-source platform p5.js, explores app-controlled surrogacy with 'Surrogate'.
● Alexander Mordvintsev (RU/CH), nventor of Google DeepDream, offers insights into themachine creation of life.
● Vladan Joler (RS), awarded the S+T+ARTS Grand Prize and the Silver Lion at the 2025Venice Biennale, examines power structures within digital systems.
● «Digital Einstein» by Rafael Wampfler (ETH Zurich) – engage in conversation with an AI avatar of Albert Einstein.
● «YuRo» by Prof. Yulia Sandamirskaya (ZHAW) – robotic systems inspired by the human brain
● «Digital Dilemmas» von Philippe Stoll (IKRK), by Philippe Stoll (ICRC) – exploring the impact of digital technologies in armed conflicts
● And many more…
The festival will take place at the Kulturhaus Helferei and the Karl der Grosse Debattierhaus in Zurich’s Niederdorf, near the Grossmünster.
| | | | | We are so glad to count you as part of our Prototype Fund community. Stay tuned for the next round of updates → prototypefund.opendata.ch
Keep prototyping, The PTF Switzerland Team |
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| The Prototype Fund is a program by Opendata.ch and supported by the Mercator Foundation Switzerland and the Christoph Merian Foundation. |
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