Observatory

Digital Humanism in Vienna, Austria, and world-wide

Introduction

The Vienna Manifesto for Digital Humanism

The Manifesto for a Digital Humanism from May 2019 is the result of an international workshop at the Vienna University of Technology and has since been signed by numerous organizations and individuals.

https://dighum.ec.tuwien.ac.at/dighum-manifesto/

Introduction to Digital Humanism

The introductory lecture by Erich Prem for the lecture of the TU Vienna in cooperation with the University of Vienna is available online.

Video of the event hosted by the Austrian Council for Research and Technology Development

Policy Brief

This Policy Brief (PDF, 258K) offers a brief introduction to Digital Humanism.

Dig Hum Website TU Vienna

The website of the Digital Humanism Initiative of the Vienna University of Technology offers numerous resources on the subject of digital humanism.

https://dighum.ec.tuwien.ac.at/

Video channels on the topic

DigHum Channel TU Vienna

The Faculty of Computer Science at the Vienna University of Technology runs its own YouTube channel Digital Humanism. Numerous international scientists give lectures on aspects of digital humanism – from computer science to philosophy. The channel also includes debates in panels and conferences on topical political issues from regulation to geopolitics. There are playlists on conferences, lectures, COVID-19 and other topics.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-oCPW9l7IuDvu_J30tqMVw

Ars Boni Channel of the University of Vienna

The Institute for Innovation and Digitization in Law operates a YouTube channel dedicated to the many facets of legal implications of digital technologies and the corona crisis.

https://id.univie.ac.at

The Sustainable Computing Lab

The “Sustainable Computing Lab” of the Vienna University of Economics and Business is a highly interdisciplinary group. It works in the broad application area of digital humanism, including topics such as privacy, platform economics, AI and IT ethics.

https://www.sustainablecomputing.eu/events/

Ars Electronica Festival

In 2020, the Ars Electronica Festival was dedicated to digital humanism, including the European Platform for Digital Humanism.

https://ars.electronica.art/keplersgardens/de/european-platform-for-digital-humanism/

Politics

Coalition agreement Vienna

https://www.wien.gv.at/regierungsabkommen2020/files/Koalitionsabkommen_Master_FINAL.pdf

Federal government agreement

The establishment of a call in the field of digital humanism (research into the complex interaction between humans and machines, including design options) will be incorporated into the Austrian AI strategy.

https://www.dieneuevolkspartei.at/Download/Regierungsprogramm_2020.pdf

Funding

Vienna Science and Technology Fund

In 2021, a dedicated WWTF call focused on Digital Humanism. More than € 3.5 million were funded in 9 interdisciplinary projects.

Über € 3,5 Mio. werden in 9 interdisziplinäre Projekte investiert.

https://www.wwtf.at/programmes/information_communication/#ICT20

Vienna Business Agency

A “Business Treff” event organized by the Business Agency in cooperation with the Vienna University of Technology was dedicated to the topic of “Digital Humanism: digital health”. Researchers discussed challenges and prospects for digital humanism in the healthcare sector with companies.

https://wirtschaftsagentur.at/veranstaltungen/business-treff-digitaler-humanismus-digital-health-1424/

Call City of Vienna

https://www.vienna.at/digitalen-humanismus-stadt-wien-foerdert-neun-forschungsprojekte/6425634

IWM und Digitaler Humanismus

Event Series

Discussion series of the Vienna City Library

In cooperation with the Wiener Zeitung and the University of Applied Arts.

https://www.wienerzeitung.at/digitalerhumanismus

Vienna Community College

In 2021 and 2022, the VHS Science series focus more on topics related to digital humanism.

https://www.vhs.at/de/e/science/b/2021/09/27/digitaler-humanismus

Joint events of WWTF, CEU and Chamber of Labour

Digital world of work – ticket to the precariat? (in German)
https://www.wwtf.at/news/news/O10903/detail/#O10903

Algorithms to work (in German)
https://www.wwtf.at/news/news/O10573/detail/#O10573

Work in times of the pandemic (and after) (In German)
https://www.wwtf.at/news/news/O10361/detail/#O10361

Publications

“Perspectives on Digital Humanism”

is devoted to the numerous facets of digital humanism. The anthology by H. Werthner, E.A. Lee, E. Prem and C. Ghezzi (eds.) is published by Springer and is available online in its entirety.

https://dighum.ec.tuwien.ac.at/perspectives-on-digital-humanism/

Medienimpulse – Special Edition Digital Humanism (Deutsch)

Logo der Zeitschrift Medienimpulse

Die Medienimpulse – Beiträge zur Medienpädagogik have dedicated a special issue to the topic
Digital Humanism.

https://journals.univie.ac.at/index.php/mp/issue/view/457

Alexander Schmölz – Die Condition Humana in the digital Age

https://www.medienpaed.com/article/view/1144

WWTF on behalf of the City of Vienna – Study

On behalf of the City of Vienna, the Vienna Science and Technology Fund carried out a study on actors, instruments and topics for an initiative on digital humanism in Vienna.

https://gmbh.wwtf.at/wwtf_gmbh/studies/index.php?ID=9383#O9383

Lorenz Lassnig – Renaissance of Humanism

Lorenz Lassnig discusses “digital humanism” and the “digital humanities” in context of the question of a renaissance of humanism
https://www.ihs.ac.at/fileadmin/public/documents/projects/dighum_01_1581881732.pdf

International

Poysdorf Declaration

Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg met his colleagues from the Czech Republic and Slovakia at a conference in Poysdorf to sign a declaration on Digital Humanism.

https://www.bmeia.gv.at/ministerium/presse/aktuelles/2021/06/oesterreichs-vorsitz-im-slavkov-austerlitz-format-endet-mit-der-unterzeichnung-der-poysdorf-declaration-on-digital-humanism/

High-level Workshop on Digital Humanism in Brussels

Video on high-level workshop in Brussels with representatives of the
Member States, EU Commission and a number of experts.

Part I https://bit.ly/3JS3b7P

Part II https://bit.ly/3LoUfqB

IEEE

With P7000, IEEE has presented a new standard for ethical system design. This was created in close cooperation with the Vienna University of Economics and Business.

https://standards.ieee.org/standard/7000-2021.html

OSZE

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Vienna deals intensively with the effects of AI on freedom of expression on the Internet.

https://www.osce.org/fom/ai-free-speech