Can Machines Save the World?

The Digital Humanism Fellowship Conference

Allison Stanger, Edward Lee, George Metakides, Hannes Werthner, Ludger Hagedorn, Gerti Kappel, Christoph Thun-Hohenstein, Michael Wiesmüller, Stefan Woltran

Thursday, 16 November 2023, 09:00 CET - Friday, 17 November 2023, 19:00 CET
Museumsplatz 1, Architekturzentrum Wien, Museumsquartier, Wien, 1070

Program Digital Humanism Program
When it comes to the impact of machines, robots, and Artificial Intelligence, commentators easily adopt a doom-and-gloom perspective. This conference asks, rather provocatively, Can Machines Save the World? In doing so, it does not intend to downplay the enormous dangers inherent in digital technology (this has already been pointed out many times by the Digital Humanism Initiative).

By taking a historic perspective on the “first period of digitalization”, this approach will rather allow us to trace similar fears connected to the advent of new technologies throughout human history. Technologies such as AI may have (and already have) a beneficiary effect on human life, be it in specific sectors such as manufacturing or health care, or on society in general. This potential to be both savior or enemy in our human endeavors can be seen, for example, in the fight against global warming (see the last section of the conference).

We will talk about

Humans and machines (mostly machines),
their impact on economy and politics,
and on the environment.
Complimentary snacks and drinks will be served to registered attendees during the conference.

Agenda
Thursday, November 16, 2023
9:00-10:30 Opening Session
Welcome addresses by:
Heinz Fischer, Former President of Austria and President of the IWM Board of Trustees
Leonore Gewessler, Austrian Federal Minister, Ministry for Climate Action
Gerti Kappel, Dean Faculty of Informatics, TU Wien
Lecture:
Joseph Sifakis (Verimag Lab): “AI: Where We Are, Where We Are Going?”
Chair: Hannes Werthner (IWM & TU Wien)
10:30-11:00
Coffee Break

11:00-12:30 Humans and Machines 1
Helga Nowotny (Former President of the European Research Council): “AI as an Agent of Change”
Thomas Haigh (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee): “AI – The History of a Brand”
Chair: Ludger Hagedorn (IWM)

12:30-14:00
Lunch Break

14:00-15:30 Humans and Machines 2
Edward A. Lee (University of California at Berkeley): “Rational Machines?”
Thomas Bugnyar (University of Vienna): “Evolution and Intelligence”
Chair: Stefan Woltran (TU Wien)

15:30-16:00
Coffee Break

16:00-17:30 Panel: “The First Century of AI”
Thomas Haigh (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee)
Edward A. Lee (University of California at Berkeley)
Joseph Sifakis (Verimag Lab)
Allison Stanger (Middlebury College)
Chair: Michael Wiesmüller (Federal Ministry for Climate Action)

18:30
Social Dinner
Café Restaurant “Kaan”
1070 Vienna, Museumsplatz 1, Hof 7

Friday, November 17, 2023
9:00-10:30 Platforms and (Anti)trust
Cristiano Codagnone (University of Milan): “Online platform: power, regulation, and the transatlantic relationship”
Stavros Makris (University of Glasgow): “Competition Law, Policy and Regulation in the Digital Era: A Political Economy Approach”
Chair: Julia Neidhardt (TU Wien)

10:30-11:00
Coffee Break

11:00-12:30 AI and Democracy
George Metakides (Digital Enlightenment Forum): “Democracy in the Digital Age”
Allison Stanger (Middlebury College): “The Governance of AI in Global Perspective”
Chair: Anita Eichinger (Vienna City Library)

12:30-14:00
Lunch Break

14:00-15:30 AI and Environment
Felix Creutzig (TU Berlin): “Computing for Sustainability”
Ivona Brandic (TU Wien): “Sustainable Computing”
Chair: Erich Prem (University of Vienna)

15:30-16:00
Coffee Break

16:00-17:30 Panel: “Digital Humanism – An Agenda for the Future”
Gerti Kappel (TU Wien)
George Metakides (Digital Enlightenment Forum)
Helga Nowotny (Former President of the European Research Council)
Christoph Thun-Hohenstein (Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs)
Chair: Hannes Werthner (IWM & TU Wien)

18:00 Digital Repair - Talks by Kader Attia und Noam Segal
(special event in collboration with the Federal Ministry for
European and International Affairs)

This event is organized by the Institute for Human Sciences (IWM) and the Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien) as part of their Digital Humanism fellowship program.

The Digital Humanism fellowship program is funded by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology.