Aiwanger admits “massive scheduling conflicts”.

Trouble over an empty Senate seat at the Max Planck Society. While Blume is likely to be Aiwanger's successor, the Economics Minister is not aware of any guilt.

Munich – It's too much to say that he raves, but he doesn't seem strange either. Artificial intelligence, says Hubert Aiwanger, will soon solve many practical problems, in the auto industry, in medium-sized businesses, everywhere. “AI will find its way into every company and every private household.” The aim is to “build the business location of tomorrow, perhaps today.” In any case, it is “not an elite project”.

On this day, Bavaria's economics minister is, well, almost on fire for the opportunities of future technology. On the one hand, this is his job, but on the other hand, it is remarkable because the accusation recently arose that he was ignoring high-tech – and this in the high-tech country of Bavaria. In any case, he was hardly interested in his seat in the Senate of the important Max Planck Society and was absent from every single meeting in five years. Since then, the education ministers have refused to appoint him again.

Is Aiwanger neglecting his department? He talks about “massive scheduling conflicts”

Less than 100 days after the government was sworn in, this is causing resentment in the cabinet – additional, one has to say, because there are already problems between the coalition members. The CSU particularly notices Aiwanger's over-presence at demos and rallies of all kinds. Accusation: He is neglecting his department.

Aiwanger himself leaves all of this cold. He gives a rather banal explanation for his absences from the Max Planck Society: “massive scheduling conflicts”. Such meetings would take a day, at least. “Of course it would make sense to go there as often as possible, but there is always a conflict of goals.” He was faced with a choice: seven appointments in Bavaria – or once at Max Planck.

He doesn't seem to see the problem elsewhere. When asked about his “demo hopping,” he says that such a two-hour appointment is hardly significant since he can work in the car before and after. The people were happy about his coming.

AI offensive in Bavaria: Economics Minister Blume could replace Aiwanger at Max Planck

Perhaps the contradiction was also noticed by Science Minister Markus Blume (CSU), who was standing at the microphone with Aiwanger after the cabinet meeting. He calls AI a “big promise” and Bavaria wants to be at the forefront. That's why an AI offensive with 100 new research positions is being planned. The TU Nuremberg is to become an AI university; all universities are planned to have their own AI computer infrastructure. Blume also speaks of a quantum computer “made in Bavaria”; it should make progress in nuclear fusion research.

It is perhaps no coincidence that he presents this so enthusiastically: Blume is considered Aiwanger's replacement at Max Planck. He emphasizes twice how “eminently important” the group is – but remains cautious about his ambitions. The aim is “that the seat can be filled by Bavarians”. In addition, it would “not be completely out of place” if he sat on the committee as science minister.

Aiwanger wants to have discussions again and then draw conclusions. Result: open. But he can't resist making a comment. In the Conference of Ministers of Education, which allocates the seats, there are “predominantly” red and green ministers. “I don’t even want to speculate about whether it was really my absence or political reasons.” (Marcus Mäckler)