High-calibre panel talk with Helmut Leopold, Head of Centre for Digital Safety & Security on the topic of "Machine vs. morality"
AI and society: revolution for work and society
Author, historian and journalist Philipp Blom took a critical look at the topic in his keynote speech. Under the title "The ghosts I called. AI and society", he pointed out the challenges that artificial intelligence could pose to society: "The AI revolution is changing our societies because it is creating a new category: intelligent things. This not only revolutionises human work, but also social relationships, personal perceptions and world views. Only history can show whether this is compatible with democracy as a forum for responsible, informed citizens."
Bei einem hochkarätig besetzten Panel-Talk beleuchteten Expertinnen und Experten aus dem universitären Bereich, Verena Dorner (Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien), Peter Knees (Technische Universität Wien), Michael Funk (Universität Wien) und Helmut Leopold (Austrian Institute of Technology) unterschiedliche Aspekte der Entwicklung von Demokratien unter dem Einfluss von KI.
Artificial intelligence - witchcraft or magic formula?
Sabine Köszegi, member of the AI Advisory Board of the Austrian Federal Government and Chair of the UNESCO Advisory Board on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, outlined a possible use of AI in public administration.
With the question "Witchcraft or magic formula?", she took a human-centred perspective and emphasised: "In the public debate, AI technology is often presented as an unavoidable development, a wave that is rolling over us that we have to learn to live with. However, I don't see what role we, the people, play or could play in its development. AI technology - like all other technologies - is a cultural artefact and therefore the result of our own ideas. We need to talk about this: Who should benefit from this technology, what do we want to use it for and how do we need to design it so that we can realise our ideas?"
Under the moderation of Bettina Knötzl, President of the Advisory Board of Transparency International Austrian Chapter, Gabriele Bolek-Fügl (CEO Compliance 2b), Michael Wiesmüller (Head of the Department of Digital and Key Technologies for Industrial Innovation, Federal Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology), Günter Horniak (Head of the Public Management degree programme at FH Campus Wien) and Klaus Steinmaurer (Managing Director of the Telecommunications and Postal Services Department at RTR - Rundfunk und Telekom Regulierungs-GmbH) discussed the opportunities and risks of using AI in public administration.
During a break, a doctoral student from TU Wien gave a live demonstration of a practical example of AI. He summarised the opinions submitted as part of a legislative process and used them to show the possibilities, limits and dangers of AI.
A summary of the 15th Anti-Corruption Day will soon be published as a brochure on the BAK website www.bak.gv.at.
Read the full german press release here.