This Digital Humanism workshop focused on the challenges for computer science and the sciences in general. The speakers reflected on the possible paradigm shift in computer science, the move from logic and algorithmic certainty to probability and LLMs as story machines. This has enormous implications for many other sciences, as computer science has become a foundation of almost all scientific and applied research. The workshop also discussed the changing role of universities, since research increasingly shifts to large IT platforms given the resources required.
The workshop put emphasis on debate and exchange: each slot (with a moderator) started with an introductory lecture (30-35 minutes), followed by a panel with statements and questions by the commentators (20 minutes). Afterwards there was an open discussion with all participants.
Thursday, 28 November
9:00–10:30
Panel I: History of AI
Moderator: Hannes Werthner (TU Wien)
Speaker: Thomas Haigh (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee)
Panel: Enrico Nardelli (University of Rome “Tor Vergata”), Lynda Hardman (CWI Amsterdam)
11:00–12:30
Panel II: Symbolic AI – What It Can and Cannot Do
Moderator: Agata Ciabattoni (TU Wien)
Speaker: Thomas Eiter (TU Wien)
Panel: Alexander Schindler (AIT), Martina Seidl (University Linz)
14:00–15:30
Panel III: Sub-Symbolic AI – What It Can and Cannot Do
Moderator: Claudia Plant (University of Vienna)
Speaker: Sepp Hochreiter (University Linz)
Panel: Francesco Ricci (University Bolzano), Axel Polleres (WU Wien)
16:00–17:30
Panel IV: Symbolic and Sub-Symbolic AI – Co-exist or Combine?
Moderator: Hans Akkermans (UDS, Tamale, Ghana)
Speaker: Frank van Harmelen (VU Amsterdam)
Panel: Brigitte Krenn (ÖFAI), Gerhard Friedrich (University Klagenfurt)
Friday, 29 November
9:00–10:30
Panel I: A New Paradigm – A New Computer Science?
Moderator: Helga Nowotny (Former President ERC)
Speaker: Moshe Vardi (Rice University)
Panel: Peter Reichl (University of Vienna), Viola Schiaffonati (Politecnico Milan)
11:00–12:30
Panel II: What Can Philosophy Tell Us?
Moderator: Ludger Hagedorn (IWM Vienna)
Speaker: Tim Crane (Central European University)
Panel: Erich Prem (Verein Digitaler Humanismus), Luc Steels (VU Brussels)
14:00–15:30
Panel III: The Impact on Scientific Research
Moderator: Stefan Woltran (TU Wien)
Speaker: Noshir Contractor (Northwestern University Chicago)
Panel: Georg Dorffner (Meduni Wien), Günter Klambauer (University Linz)
16:00–17:30
Panel IV: The Role of Universities in a Platform Dominated World
Moderator: Christiane Wendehorst (University of Vienna)
Speaker: Gerti Kappel (TU Wien)
Panel: Stefan Klein (University Münster), George Metakides (DEF)
You can find details on the chairs, speakers, and panelists here.
You can find the playlist will all video recordings here.
