Digital Humanism Indicators

led by Paul Timmers and Hannes Werthner

SLIDES

Digital technologies such as Artificial intelligence (AI) are rapidly transforming our world, and its impact on society is already being felt in many ways. These technologies are being used to improve healthcare, education, transportation, and many other aspects of our lives. However, there are also concerns about the potential negative impacts, such as job displacement, social inequality, and bias.

This use case aims to identify a set of indicators that could be used measure the impact of digital technologies on a society. These indicators should be applicable on a national and international scale will be based on a number of dimensions.

A first step in identifying the indicators could start with the digital humanism principles as outlined in the Vienna Manifesto on Digital Humanism. Each of these principles may eventually result in a set of related indicators. Take for example

• Digital technologies should be designed to promote democracy and inclusion. This will require special efforts to overcome current inequalities and to use the emancipatory potential of digital technologies to make our societies more inclusive.
  An indicator may be, for example: what is the evidence that IT (or more specific, AI) is emancipatory in this sense?
• Privacy and freedom of speech are essential values for democracy and should be at the center of our activities
  Possible indicator: what is the evidence that applied algorithm safeguards these

In essence, these indicators will look at economic, social and environmental impact. The specific ways in which these dimensions can be captured will be discussed, and some research will be conducted to identify which data sources could be used to measure them (e.g., data shared by the United Nations, UNESCO, and the World Economic Forum).

Long Term Goals:

• Develop a comprehensive set of indicators that measure the impact of IT on society (its positive and negative sides).
• Make the indicators available to NGOs, Universities, policymakers, businesses, and the public.
• Use the indicators to track the impact on society over time.
• Identify the positive and negative impacts, and to develop strategies to mitigate the negative impacts.

Additional Considerations:

• The level of granularity of the indicators.
• The availability and reliability of data.
• Ethical implications of measuring the impact of IT.

Democracy at Stake?! The Role of Media and Libraries in a Digitized World

led by Anita Eichinger and Wolfgang Renner

SLIDES

Overview: This project explores the relationship between democracy and technology in a digitized world. Change models, like VUCA (which stands for volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity), and their tensions will be analyzed. Best practices will be showcased and the potential role of “The Arts” will be discussed.

The current exhibition of the Vienna Library in the City Hall “The destruction of Democracy. Austria, March 1933 to February 1934” shows what the introduction of censorship in 1933 meant. We will analyze the importance of media and independent reporting in historical comparison to the present.

Process: Introduction, Open Space Groups, Discussion, Round Up

Digital Humanism for Sustainable Solutions to Wicked Problems: A Workshop Exploring Collective Intelligence Design

led by Irina Nalis

This workshop centers on the application of digital humanism principles to devise sustainable solutions for “wicked problems”, notably the climate crisis. Embracing the intricacies and interconnectedness of societal issues, it amalgamates psychological insights and transformational literacy as pivotal elements in tackling these complexities.Framed within the context of wicked problems and the VUCA paradigm, this workshop delves into contemporary challenges.

Built upon Geoff Mulgan’s concept of “collective intelligence,” as pertains to social innovation and public policy, the workshop investigates the potential of digital tools and platforms to foster collaborative capacities amidst individuals and with digital technologies, all while mitigating biases and filter bubbles. The workshop draws inspiration from successful projects employing “collective intelligence design” by NESTA, UK’s innovation agency, UCL London, and the UN, providing a launchpad to explore inventive methodologies for crafting interventions.

Participating groups will delve into:

• Transformations in the realm of work, spanning organizational culture, communication, and human resource dynamics.
• Shifts in political engagement and advancements in public management and policy innovation.

Workshop components encompass:

• In-depth literature review
• Study design and structure
• Collaborative workshops to incubate and prototype concepts
• Formulation of evaluation and analysis frameworks
• Crafting effective formats for generating recommendations and guidelines

AI in Public Service and Policy Making

led by Franco Accordino and Monika Lanzenberger

SLIDES

A) You need to quickly prepare a speech for the Director on the innovation opportunities related to energy saving.
B) You design an application for a public service able to answer to citizen complaints against research funding programmes.
C) You draft a first version of a new European law regulating the use of personal health trackers consistent with the GDPR law.
D) You assist a local government in setting up a participative platform enabling co-creation and co-decision on publicly financed projects.

Building on the previous lectures of this summer school, use ChatGPT (or another generative AI platform and if possible integrate eur-lex) and develop a solution, describe its opportunities and risks. Propose one or two hard questions you came across in the development process to be discussed with the other students in the plenum.

5 min presentation per group (total 50 min), 30 min discussion of some of the hard questions, 10 min closing remarks.