Ioanna Schimizzi: Did you go to study abroad after getting your baccalaureate?

Michèle Finck: Not quite, I first studied law for a year at the University of Luxembourg, to see if I liked the subject. Before that I was planning to study geography but just before the baccalaureate I changed my mind.

Why did you turn to law and not geography?

It is a subject that has always interested me, and still interests me, especially what concerns geopolitics, but at the time I did not see any other professional future than to become a geography teacher in a Luxembourg high school and that was the last thing I wanted to do.

Why law?

Good question. I think the main aspect that fascinates me is that law is a tool through which society expresses itself but which also influences societies, the economy, technologies and new technologies.

You continued your studies at King’s College London. Why there?

In fact, I did a double master’s degree in French and English law, so it’s a programme that is organised both in London and at the Sorbonne in Paris, where I studied. It’s a fairly prestigious programme and when I was 19-20, I really wanted to see something other than Luxembourg. At the time, I thought I was going to return to Luxembourg and in general, for law studies to be recognised in the grand duchy, you have to study in France, Belgium or Luxembourg because the legal systems are very similar.

After a master’s degree at the European University Institute in Florence and a doctorate at the University of Oxford in London, you first worked in England. Why did you choose the UK?

After my doctorate, I worked at both the University of Oxford and the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). I was focused on research. I really enjoyed that period, it was a very good personal and professional experience.

Your first idea was to come back to work in Luxembourg. Why did you change your mind?

When I started studying law, I thought I would become a lawyer or a judge and for these professions there are many great opportunities in the grand duchy. When I decided to become a teacher, it was not against Luxembourg, but because the university at the time--ten years ago--was very young so for me it was more natural to stay in England.

You still turned to teaching.

Yes, but at a high school or at a university is still not the same.

What do you mean?

Currently, I am a professor and hold the chair for law and artificial intelligence at the University of Tübingen in Germany. My research focuses on law and artificial intelligence as well as European data law, so I ultimately teach very little. My obligations are mainly to do research and I also direct the CZS Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Law, so I take care of the management related to that.

I really wanted to see something different, to meet different people, to see the world.

Michèle Finck, professor of law and artificial intelligence, University of Tübingen

Is studying abroad the obligatory path for Luxembourgers?

When I took my baccalaureate in 2006, the University [of Luxembourg] was really new and it was natural for me to go abroad for my studies. My parents had studied in Aix-en-Provence, so for me it was normal to go abroad and it suited my personality. I really wanted to see something different, to meet different people, to see the world. I love travelling so these are factors that came into play. And I don’t even know if at the time it would have been possible to do all my law studies in Luxembourg.

How did you end up in Germany?

I had never tried to come to Germany, it was not planned. Several factors came into play, already from a private point of view my husband is German and he worked in Berlin and I in London. We said to ourselves that it would be nice to live together [laughs] and we were around the Brexit vote so in the end England was probably not the best choice. In particular because I specialise in European law so professionally, it no longer really made sense. I spent very good years in England but I did not imagine raising my children there. I already knew Munich very well because my husband’s family lives here and my brother has also lived there since obtaining his baccalaureate. There was a very renowned institute in my field: the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition, to which I sent a speculative application and I was accepted.

Are you also more familiar with Germanic culture as a Luxembourger?

Yes, there is no doubt about it.

Luxembourg traditions and habits are similar, but are there still things you miss about your country?

I miss my parents of course, even though they often come to see us and we come back regularly. And even though culturally the two countries are extremely close, sometimes since I have two little girls aged five and two, there is a moment when I really feel like a foreigner in Germany, it is because of the children’s songs that I don’t know and that always feels strange. It reminds me that I didn’t grow up here.

It is important to keep my mother tongue and our culture, and I think that language is something very intimate.

Michèle Finck, professor of law and artificial intelligence, University of Tübingen

Do you speak Luxembourgish to your daughters?

Yes, for me it is important to keep my mother tongue and our culture, and I think that language is something very intimate. When I speak to them in German I feel more distant, so psychologically, it is the natural choice.

Have you felt like you were perceived differently as a Luxembourger in your studies or professional experiences?

I think that most people simply don’t know anything about Luxembourg. Of course, in France or Germany, the country is known by name and they can locate it, but they don’t know much more. They are always interested in knowing more, about the language spoken, life in the country, schools, etc.

Do you feel like an ambassador for the country sometimes?

I have never thought about it, but it is true that I like to explain and make my country known, so yes, a little. I really like to share my experience and my culture.

Do you often return to Luxembourg?

Yes, either we go there or my family comes to see us. I can’t imagine not coming back regularly, for me and for my children. I want to introduce them to Luxembourg and make it familiar to them.

Can you imagine coming back to live and work in Luxembourg?

This is a question I thought about a lot when my eldest daughter was born. I observe this with many expats when the first child is born; we ask ourselves the question of returning to live at home. There was a period when this was a very recurring question but currently, whether professionally or personally, we have found a balance that works, so for the moment I don’t think about it.

Is the University of Tübingen renowned in the field of artificial intelligence?

Absolutely, it is “the place to be” on these subjects. It is really the research centre in relation to AI. The university is very strong in this field and has been for decades. This expertise first began within the Faculty of Computer Science and then the university made the strategic decision to build bridges between the Faculty of Computer Science and the other faculties to cultivate expertise in this field and other disciplines.

For example?

At the Faculty of Medicine, there are professors who work on the integration of artificial intelligence processes in medicine. Within the university, my role is to be this bridge between the Faculty of Law and everything related to technical expertise around artificial intelligence. The University of Tübingen has a cluster of excellence for machine learning of which I am part of the steering committee. Tübingen also has many other centres of expertise. It is really the most interesting place to work if you want to do research on AI in Germany and that is also why I am there.

You studied law. When did you become interested in artificial intelligence?

Actually it was quite late. My law studies were quite general and I did my PhD on the constitutional law of the European Union. I wanted to stay in academia and become a professor, but I also wanted to do something a little more concrete than constitutional law. By chance I had read a lot of things about the interaction between new technologies and law that were fascinating. It was when I was at the LSE that I really decided to specialise in the subject.

Now, many people are interested in [AI], but I specialised quite early, so I was a few years ahead.

Michèle Finck, professor of law and artificial intelligence, University of Tübingen

On AI, is there still a lot to do in terms of law and regulations?

For the moment, there is a , which has been passed and is not yet fully in force. I am currently writing a book to try to understand it because it is extremely long--more than 500 pages--very complex and poorly written. And indeed, there are many questions in all areas of law that arise in relation to this technology and these questions will evolve as the technology itself evolves.

How do you explain that you have become a standard bearer in terms of AI regulations?

Now, many people are interested in these subjects, but I specialised quite early, so I was a few years ahead. I am also lucky to be in an environment that really allows me to specialise in these issues. Being in Tübingen allows me to have many colleagues with whom I can exchange and learn. I am also lucky to have a research chair so I can focus exclusively on my research and teaching. I can spend more time studying these issues compared to other professors. Given that I have done a lot of European law and European constitutional law and that in this case, in relation to the new European regulation, you have to know both AI but also know the EU, its institutions, its general legal principles, I am lucky to be able to combine all these elements.

On artificial intelligence, how do you see Luxembourg’s positioning?

The government’s official strategy will be published in a few months, so we will see. The implicit strategy is quite well done for the moment. What the country is doing well is trying to encourage innovation around AI. Luxembourg is the first, or one of the first European states, that already has a regulatory sandbox focused on data protection: the Sandkëscht program, operated by the [data protection agency] CNPD. It allows innovative startups to have some state support in implementing their ideas and it is something that is mandatory under the new European law on AI.

Should the country take inspiration from Germany and Tübingen for example?

What we have in Tübingen started to develop at least thirty years ago, so it is important to have strategies in relation to this, but we must also be realistic in the sense that it takes time to set up and develop these networks of institutions, people, skills. But all countries, especially in Europe, should really seek to promote innovation in relation to artificial intelligence.

A career abroad

Michèle Finck had long considered studying geography before turning to law. After obtaining her doctorate from the University of Oxford, the daughter of Jean-Claude Finck (former CEO of Spuerkeess) held various positions before joining the University of Tübingen. She is notably a member of the scientific council of the Idea Foundation think tank in Luxembourg and regularly travels abroad for conferences, forums or for collaborations with other universities.

Tübingen Cyber Valley

The University of Tübingen was not predestined to become a leading hub in artificial intelligence, but the presence of many researchers on site who have specialised in this field has gradually attracted other experts. Some have now been present for decades and this has built a network of expertise. “This is where the next decade of artificial intelligence begins,” said then-German chancellor Angela Merkel at the launch of the so-called Tübingen Cyber Valley in December 2020.

This article was written for the  of Paperjam magazine, published on 26 March. The content is produced exclusively for the magazine. It is published on the site to contribute to the full Paperjam archive. .

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