Teaching information literacy has always been a central task of libraries and is more important than ever in times of digital transformation. With the Faculty of Informatics at TU Wien, the Vienna City Library is now breaking new ground.

Together with the computer scientists Peter Knees and Hannes Werthner, Anita Eichinger, director of the Vienna Library in the City Hall, has now published one of the first textbooks on AI and digitalization: “Digitalization and us. Textbook on digital humanism with practical exercises” (Residenz Verlag). A novelty, as there is no textbook of this type to date. The new standard work with selected focuses on the topic is designed for use in secondary school and in adult education institutions and is also available open access. Digital humanism is conveyed as a model that describes, analyzes and, above all, influences a complex interaction between technology and humanity, for a better society and a better life with full respect for universal human rights.

Video of the Event (in German)

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Program

• Welcoming: Anita Eichinger, Direktorin – Wienbibliothek im Rathaus
• Panel discussion:
  Horst Eichinger, Direktor – GRG1 Stubenbastei
  Martin Fritz, Generalsekretär – Österreichische UNESCO-Kommission
  Gerti Kappel, Dekanin der Fakultät für Informatik – TU Wien
  Veronica Kaup-Hasler, Amtsführende Stadträtin für Kultur und Wissenschaft

New Elective Subject

At the same time, an elective subject on “UNESCO: Digital Humanism and AI” is being developed at the Stubenbastei high school and secondary school in Vienna in close cooperation with the UNESCO Chair for Digital Humanism at the TU Vienna. The lessons will also take place with the support of teachers from the Faculty of Computer Science at the TU Vienna. “Digitalization and Us” will be used as a textbook here.

Rethink education. The “Cooperative Viennese School”

What is Artificial Intelligence? How does a machine learn? How do algorithms work and how do they influence us?

Everyone should be able to answer questions like these, because AI is inexorably determining our lives. The American technology company “Google” has developed a learning platform that is intended to impart precisely this knowledge to teachers, children and young people. Will this pave the way for a new form of school? Or do public schools not need much more innovative reform concepts?

In Vienna, the Stubenbastei high school, the TU Wien and the Vienna library in the town hall have joined forces to bring AI and digitalization into the classroom. The focus is on the open access publication “Digitalization and Us”, a textbook on digital humanism, written by experts from the TU Vienna, together with teachers from Stubenbastei. The “Cooperative Viennese School” concept could thus become an exemplary role model.

About the Book

A new standard work for use in upper secondary school and adult education institutions.

This textbook - currently only in German - presents selected key points on the topic of digitalization. Twelve chapters are dedicated, among other things, to: digital transformation, digital humanism, the history of data processing and an introduction to artificial intelligence (AI). The need to protect privacy and regulate AI is highlighted, as is the impact of data-intensive AI on people and the environment. Against the background of human-centered system development based on philosophical foundations, as strived for by digital humanism, this textbook discusses recommendation systems and their influence on plurality and fairness, prejudices and bias on the web, as well as the problems that can arise from algorithmic moderation of content.

Italien version is forthcoming. It’s open access. Feel free to translate.

Download the Book

German version (PDF)