Learn, play, choose: Prof. Dr. Johanna Pirker on AI, games, and open source

What can Elden Ring teach you about resilience?

In this episode, we are joined by Prof. Dr. Johanna Pirker, professor of computer science at TU Munich and TU Graz, founder of the Game Lab Graz, and a member of the UN Independent International Scientific Panel on AI.

Johanna Pirker works at the intersection of AI, games, virtual and augmented reality, and human-computer interaction. In 2018, Forbes included her in the « 30 Under 30 Europe » list for her work in using VR and games to improve digital education. In 2020, she received the Käthe Leichter Prize for her efforts in diversity in engineering and the games industry. Her book « The Game Is On: How Gaming Revolutionizes Our World » published in 2025, makes the case for gaming as a means to reshape how people learn, work, and interact.

Inspired by her participation in the Nextcloud Summit 2026 panel session « From open source to open ecosystems: Europe’s next digital play », we invited Johanna to continue the conversation in our podcast. We tap into her perspective on where gaming meets learning, learning meets AI, and where open source tools foster innovation in her fields. What do video games and learning have in common? Why should we all learn how AI works and how it doesn’t? And finally, how can open source help us build a better future for science and innovation? Let’s find out!

I cannot think of anything negative coming out of open source. Open source is so good to show others what is going on, to involve them, to see what might not work yet, to find collaborations, to help to reproduce it, which is super important in science, to help boost open standards.

Johanna Pirker

Professor of Computer Science at TU Munich and TU Graz

Episode links

• Johanna Pirker on LinkedIn
• Johanna Pirker’s website
• The UN Independent International Scientific Panel on AI
• Maroon project
• Game Lab Graz
• Nextcloud Community Conference