TU Wien DIGHUM

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Program

Program overview and lecture material.

On each day, Monday to Friday, there will be a morning as well as an afternoon session, each scheduled for three and a half hours with a coffee break in between. We plan to typically have two lectures in the morning and two in the afternoon. However, two morning sessions (on Wednesday and Friday) are completely dedicated to the group projects that will also be supervised by lectures. The project sessions will explore how the values of Digital Humanism can guide the conception of socio-technical systems, particular in terms of participation and democracy. The focus is on understanding conflicting goals that such systems face, drawing on multiple perspectives, and using an interdisciplinary approach to account for political, and social values (fairness, etc) and concerns. Internationally renowned and leading academics from computer science, social sciences, law and humanities present and discuss important recent topics and themes, including:

  • Foundational Issues: Foundational and Philosophical Issues of Digital Technologies;
  • Policy-Making: The Politics of Digital Technologies (incl. regulation, law, citizenship, democracy);
  • Education: Shaping critical Digital Humanism education in and on the Digital Transformation;
  • Language: The Digital Divide, connectedness, human communication, the role of Generative AI;
  • Global Dimensions: Digital Humanism in Global Perspective (Europe, US, Africa …).

Preliminary Program (Times in CEST)

Monday, September 8, 2025

  • 8:30 - 9:00 Registration

Morning (9:00-12:30)

  • 9:00 - 9:30 Opening and Welcome

Digital Technology transforms the world, from the individual level up to the ongoing geo-political powerplay. From an ontological point of view, it influences how we perceive the world and how we think about it. This transformation process started relatively recently and continues at a very high speed. We highlight some features of this process, which, besides its enormous achievements, shows also serious shortcomings and risks. The key issue arising is a two-sided one : Digital technology, currently spearheaded by AI, may help deal with some of the world’s multiple crises and make it a better place. At the same time it is part of some these crises (some even see it as the cause). We understand Digital Humanism as an approach to developing and regulating digital technologies so that they are used for the benefit of people and nature. It is a proactive approach that focuses on the integration of technical policy and social innovation for the collective good.

Tuesday, September 9, 2025

  • 13:00 - 14:15 Afternoon

I will explain a distinction between words and text we didn't need before but which we now need with today's automatic text generators. And I will explain another distinction we need to make between Artificial Flower AI and Artificial Light AI: Generative AI is a kind of Artificial Flower AI.

Wednesday, September 10, 2025

  • 13:00 - 14:15 Afternoon

abstract forthcoming