AI Washing: Is There Even AI in It at All?
Source: Own illustration
In the age of the AI, artificial intelligence is a central component of almost all new technologies. From mobile learning apps to soft drink recipes: AI is being used everywhere. At least according to the manufacturers. Can this even be true? Why is it so important for companies to advertise their products with AI? In this article, you can find out more about the modern phenomenon of AI washing.
Cheers to Summer – And to the IT Center!
Source: Own Illustration
Sunshine, barbecue aromas, and lots of good cheer – on July 11, 2025, the IT Center held its annual summer party. And this time, the weather gods were smiling on us: instead of continuous rain like last year, employees were able to enjoy a dry summer party and were even rewarded with a few rays of sunshine.
The New RWTH Software Shop
Source: Own Illustration
To make the provision of software to RWTH members even more efficient, transparent, and user-friendly, the IT Center is providing a new central solution: the RWTH Software Shop. This is aimed at both institutions and employees as well as students at RWTH Aachen University and combines a wide range of software offerings on a single platform. The new shop will be available to all target groups from July 29, 2025. Centralized access not only simplifies the ordering process, but also improves product support and usage.
SysAdmin Day 2025–Thank You for Keeping Everything Running
Source: Own Illustration
On the last Friday in July, the 25th, it’s that time again: System Administrator Appreciation Day reminds us how much we owe to the work of our admins and IT specialists. We at the IT Center would also like to use this day to say a huge thank you to our colleagues and all system admins. You ensure that our systems remain stable, secure and available around the clock – whether it’s the mail server, network technology, the server landscape or individual support requests. Nothing would be digital without you!
DataStorage.nrw: Ready and Available!
Source: Own illustration
We recently informed you about the upcoming migration from Research Data Storage (RDS) to DataStorage.nrw. Now the long wait is over: DataStorage.nrw is now fully operational at all four locations. In this blog post, you can find out exactly what this means and what you as a Coscine user need to bear in mind.
Successful Renewal of RWTH’s Central Internet Access Routers: X-WiN Migration Completed
On Tuesday evening, June 10, 2025, the time had come: In a planned and precisely executed maintenance window between 9 and 10pm, the heart of the RWTH network infrastructure was modernised – the migration to the new Catalyst 9600 router generation was successfully completed!
Source: Own illustration
Review of the ACI User Group Meeting 2025
Source: Freepik
The ACI User Group came together again this year. This time, the meeting took place at the Bosch IT Campus in Stuttgart from 24 to 25 June 2025. Around 40 participants from the public sector, industry and the IT Center were in attendance. The aim: to discuss current developments, challenges and future topics in the ACI context.
SOC On-Call Service: IT Security Around the Clock
Source: Own illustration
Whether it’s suspicious activity on the network, compromised user accounts, or acute cyber attacks – every minute counts in an emergency. In order to be able to respond to security incidents at RWTH even faster and more effectively in the future, the IT Center’s Security Operation Center (SOC) has had an on-call service since June 1, 2025. This means that the SOC team can now also be reached outside regular working hours if necessary, ensuring greater security in the university network around the clock.
Network Renewal: From Project to Regular Operation
Source: Own Illustration
After several years of intensive planning and implementation work, the network renewal at RWTH Aachen University is approaching an important milestone: Since its launch in 2018, the finish line for the end of 2026 is slowly coming into view. You can also read about our interim status in 2022 in our previous blog article. The completion of the measures in the individual university buildings marks the transition from project to regular operation. The aim of the network renewal is to modernize the communication infrastructure, which is in some parts severely outdated, and to put it on a future-proof footing—technically, organizationally, and operationally.
Towards the Future with AI – How the IT Center Is Supporting RWTH Aachen University on Its Way into the AI Age
Source: Pixabay
Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a topic for the future – it has arrived in the centre of society and is changing the way we research, learn and work. As one of Europe’s leading technical universities, it is therefore crucial for RWTH Aachen University to actively engage with the potential and challenges of this technology.
As RWTH’s central IT facility, the IT Center plays a central role in this: it develops technical solutions, ensures a data protection-compliant infrastructure and creates new services that enable the use of AI in the university context.
And not just since yesterday: For some time now, the IT Center has been working intensively on making artificial intelligence usable for the entire university.
