A highlight of the event was the high-level closing panel, where Matthias Karmasin (Director of the CMC and Professor at the University of Klagenfurt) offered a thought-provoking reflection on the broader cultural impact of AI: “The conditio humana is under pressure. Creativity, empathy, and imagination are being taken over by something created by humans – but not human itself”. In a moment that sparked both amusement and critical thought, Karmasin referenced a theologian’s provocative claim that humanity may have “created a new god”.

Meanwhile, the poster "Responsible Use of AI in Public Communication: Discourses About Accountability Measures and Governance Options – A Comparative Analysis in Europe" — by Marie Rathmann (CMC), Tobias Eberwein (CMC), Krisztina Rozgonyi (CMC), Laura Amigo (Università della Svizzera italiana), Marko Milosavljević (University of Ljubljana), Mari-Liisa Parder (University of Tartu), and Colin Porlezza (Università della Svizzera italiana) — offered a compelling comparative overview of governance frameworks and accountability strategies for AI in public communication. The research (https://diacomet.eu/) underscored the urgent need for transparent and responsible approaches to managing AI’s growing influence in the information space.

Taken together, the CMC’s contributions to the conference placed a strong emphasis on ethical responsibility, critical engagement, and the safeguarding of public discourse in an era increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence. Their perspectives ensured that questions of governance, communication, and long-term human agency remained central to the event’s broader dialogue.

Please find a summary (German) at the OeAW-Website: https://www.oeaw.ac.at/news/ki-im-spiegel-der-geistes-und-sozialwissenschaften

Video Panel discussion: "AI Meets Humanities & Social Sciences"
Podiumsdiskussion: Geistes- und Sozialwissenschaften im Zeitalter von KI