Mager's work focuses extensively on the social impact of digitalisation. She is a senior scientist at the Institute for Technology Assessment (ITA) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW) and, together with Barbara Prainsack, co-founded the ÖAW Commission on ‘Democracy in Digital Societies’ in 2024.

In this workshop, Mager and co-organiser Katja Mayer from the Centre for Social Innovation invite participants to consider artificial intelligence in the context of political polarisation and global competition: ‘The dependencies on digital infrastructures are enormous. A few, mostly US-American, and increasingly Chinese big tech companies are powerful players in the development of AI, making it difficult to sustainably demand fundamental rights and democratic values,’ says Mager.

Through short inputs and interactive discussions, participants will identify strategies for unbiased data infrastructures, participatory governance and fair AI with the aim of creating a more responsible AI ecosystem. Other speakers include Teki Akuetteh (Africa Digital Rights Hub), Siddhi Gupta (Srishti Manipal Institute), Michael Veale (University College London) and Sebastian Kneidinger (epicenter.works).

The Digital Humanism Conference will take place from 26 to 28 May 2025, featuring contributions around the theme ‘Shaping Our Digital Future.’ Researchers, policymakers and stakeholders in the field of technology research and innovation are invited to attend.