How artificial intelligence is changing our work life

Automation is encroaching on areas that were previously reserved for humans, such as project planning and data analysis. In companies and public administration, essential work steps will be taken over by artificial intelligence in the future. ITA researchers Stefan Strauß and Doris Alhutter are investigating whether and how this is possible. In July, Strauß was widely quoted for his analyses of AI and work. Cognitive work is particularly affected, he explains in an interview with radio OE1, but adds: ‘Many companies are unsure what to do with the technology because they lack the necessary expertise.’ According to Strauß, AI delivers added value when it is supplemented by existing expertise.

Doris Allhutter is currently conducting research on behalf of the Austrian Parliament on the digital transformation of public administration. Interviewed by podcast COMMITed, she analyses the potential consequences of AI integration for Austrian public administration and warns against seeking solutions through technology alone.

Democracy in transition

Democratic systems are faltering in the dispute over raw materials, innovations and resources. The first global conference on technology assessment (TA) organised by the ITA focused on the role of TA for democracy in light of current events. Keynote speaker Karen Howard, chief scientist at the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), warned in a media interview against polarisation and the complete disregard of established quality standards.

ITA researcher Astrid Mager focuses her work on data security and digital sovereignty in Europe. In her presentation ‘Open data – public value?’, she advocated for data openness and collaborative data use. At the Conscious Communication Conference in December, Mager emphasised that democracies are coming under pressure and being gradually eroded by surveillance technologies and discriminatory algorithms. Laws are often not enough, she said, and global data flows are difficult to trace.

Five years after Corona

Five years after the start of the pandemic and two years after the publication of the government-commissioned CORONA study, ITA researcher and study author Alexander Bogner takes stock on radio, in the press and on TV: ‘Corona was a time-out for democracy,’ he tells Austrian daily DIE PRESSE. Politicians relied too heavily on expert knowledge, whereas psychological, social, educational and economic consequences remained underexposed. One-sided media coverage and harsh measures such as compulsory vaccination also contributed to a breach of trust among the population and encouraged radical thinking, says Bogner, referencing the results of his study.