Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften http://www.oeaw.ac.at de-at Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften Sat, 17 May 2025 08:00:09 +0200 Sat, 17 May 2025 08:00:09 +0200 Typo3 news-34670 Mon, 07 Apr 2025 15:05:00 +0200 1st Global TA Conference in Vienna: Here are the Highlights! http://www.oeaw.ac.at/en/news-1/1st-global-ta-conference-in-vienna-here-are-the-highlights For three days in June, Vienna will become the hub of the global technology assessment community. Experts from all five continents will discuss how we can evaluate technologies when we can no longer ignore the global impact of technological development. Experts from five continents, including Karen Howard (USA), Douglas Robinson (OECD), Raimundo Roberts (Chile), and Mahlet Teshome Kebede (Ethiopia), will provide insights into their activities. From 2 to 4 June, the Institute of Technology Assessment (ITA) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, together with the Global TA Network, is hosting the first worldwide TA conference in Vienna. The programme features more than 80 presentations, workshops and discussion panels, with topics including current research on digitalisation, quantum technology, hypes in the technosciences and climate-relevant technologies.

Researchers from the USA, Canada, Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe, Australia and even Oceania participate on-site as well as remotely. "Although technology assessment originated in the Western world, came from the USA and established itself in Europe, it has now become a global trend. The great interest in this conference shows the demand for science-based policy advice on technology issues from different perspectives and in different cultures and political systems", says ITA director, Michael Nentwich, who is organising the event together with his local team and an international advisory board.

Creating impact, but how?

How is technology assessment, that is, science-based policy advice on issues related to emerging technologies, practiced worldwide? How are international organisations involved, and what conditions ensure that TA succeeds in various geopolitical contexts as well as on a global scale? Insights on these and other topics will be provided by Julia Hahn (Germany), co-founder of the globalTA network, science-diplomat Krishna Ravi Srinivas (India), Karen Howard (USA), director of the US parliamentary TA institution, Mahlet Teshome (Ethiopia), who works at the African Union, and Peta Ashworth from Curtin University (Australia), who has been observing the international TA scene for a long time. Another highlight will be a keynote given by the Chilean expert on parliamentary TA, Raimundo Roberts, who will shed light on TA from the perspective of Latin America. Other interesting formats include, for example, a workshop on effective communication or a presentation on the development of global strategies for problems such as food shortages or pandemics.

Challenges of Digitisation

Numerous lectures address structures, standards and regulations needed to prevent negative effects of digitalisation, particularly in the context of global impact chains and regional value systems. Maria Maia and Claudia Brädle (Portugal/Germany) have organised a session on ethics within European research on artificial intelligence in health and healthcare, but also genome editing and biobanking, that is the collection of biological materials. Astrid Mager, a long-standing TA expert at ITA and co-founder of the Commission ‘Democracy in Digital Societies’ (DEMGES) at the Austrian Academy of Sciences, adds insights on reconciling regional value systems and universal standards in a global context. Christoph Henrich (Fiji) reports on climate technologies in the Pacific, and Marko Monteiro (Brazil) looks at system resilience using the example of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Let’s discuss!

Sessions on hypes and their impact on technology development and TA and quantum technologies also promise to be exciting. An interactive panel explores which instituional structures are necessary for a successful assessment. The event will conclude with a round table discussion with experts from international organisations, chaired by Douglas Robinson (OECD).

"We are very pleased that we have succeeded in bringing TA experts from around the world to Vienna for this exciting event. It will always be important for a democratic societies to assure that socio-technical innovation benefits people and the environment. But we still have a lot to learn about how to fully address its global dimensions. This is why face-to-face interaction on an international level is so important", says Karen Kastenhofer, co-organiser of the conference and deputy director of the ITA.

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news-34427 Mon, 17 Mar 2025 11:29:54 +0100 Generative AI – a new technology with opportunities and risks for democracy http://www.oeaw.ac.at/en/news-1/generative-ai-a-new-technology-with-opportunities-and-risks-for-democracy Current ITA study for the Austrian Parliament now available Generative artificial intelligence is a powerful tool. Not only can chats be conducted convincing us that we are talking to a real person. Images, videos or human voices can also be generated and scenarios conveyed that do not correspond to the facts.

The ITA has examined risks and opportunities of generative AI on behalf of the Austrian Parliament. The final report is now available on the parliament's website, the Executive Summary is also available in English. ‘Our goal was to examine how generative AI can be used by democratic systems. However, this also requires an awareness that AI cybercrime and deepfakes pose a serious threat to democracy,’ emphasises ITA Director Michael Nentwich.

Seizing the right opportunities

The final report, which is now available, covers topics such as digital sovereignty, hybrid threats and AI cybercrime, as well as possible options for dealing with AI. The authors propose a variety of accompanying measures to mitigate risks and make the new technology compatible with democracy.

Specifically, they propose collecting examples of the successful use of generative AI in politics and making them available on a kind of ‘democracy platform’. This platform could also play an important role in the context of initiatives on AI literacy. ‘Above all, it is important to take people along,’ says Michael Nentwich. ‘We as a society should come to an understanding about how democratic debates will be conducted in the future and what role AI applications should play in them.’ Fact-checking and labelling of AI content are urgently needed to minimise misinformation. Other measures proposed include the establishment of a parliamentary commission of inquiry on ‘Democracy and AI’, the development of a code of conduct for AI in politics, and nationwide citizens' forums on fundamental issues of democracy.

Potential for damage significant

Generative AI can contribute to the mass dissemination of disinformation. Microtargeting thus not only offers opportunities but also poses dangers for democratic systems, because it can be used to secrently influence electoral decisions. To avoid this, the study authors propose a general ban on political microtargeting of voters using AI. Environmental damage and consequences for the climate, due to the extremely high consumption of water, energy and land, as well as unethical working conditions in the training and production of AI, are also major problems.

New challenges for Austrian politics

The ITA researchers conclude that parliament, as a central actor in democratic politics, must address these controversial issues. ‘To ensure the best possible functioning of the political system in Austria and the EU, measures must be discussed on a broad basis,’ both inside and outside parliament’, says Nentwich. The worldwide interconnectedness of tech companies, most of which are based outside Europe, and the relative slowness of regulation compared to technological development make this a crucial challenge that can only be overcome through joint European cooperation.

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News English Starseite_EN OpenTA Michael Nentwich
news-34286 Wed, 05 Mar 2025 12:00:45 +0100 How to sustainably secure critical raw materials for the EU? http://www.oeaw.ac.at/en/news-1/how-to-sustainably-secure-critical-raw-materials-for-the-eu A new ITA dossier takes a close look at Europe's dependence on the extraction of critical raw materials such as lithium. According to ITA researcher Steffen Bettin, there are many challenges in extraction and processing that require more research, capital and innovation. The EU is dependent on imports for raw materials in many areas. For instance, they are essential for Europe to cope with the energy transition and increasing digitalisation. Research is currently focusing on key technologies such as lithium-ion batteries, catalysts and supercapacitors for energy storage.

However, extraction and supply also cause environmental damage and problems in the countries of origin. On behalf of the European Parliamentary Research Service, ITA researcher Steffen Bettin has analysed how research and innovation can help make the acquisition of critical raw materials more sustainable and fairer.

Read more – click here for the ITA dossier ‘Innovation for critical raw materials’

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news-34009 Mon, 10 Feb 2025 12:25:27 +0100 Best of 2024 – Media highlights between AI and democracy http://www.oeaw.ac.at/en/news-1/best-of-2024-medienhighlights-zwischen-ki-und-demokratie To what extent do social media endanger democracy? What are some of the lesser known global impacts of digitisation? Two major studies co-authored by experts from ITA have attracted media attention. Read on for our highlights 2024!  

To what extent do social media endanger democracy today? How well are they suited for disseminating information? ITA security expert Stefan Strauß was quoted many times as co-author of an ÖAW statement on the topic. Other ITA highlights included numerous media appearances of sociologist Alexander Bogner on ‘policy advice in times of crisis’, an ITA team participating in the World Food Day 2024, and Astrid Mager's contribution to an international study on the global impact of digitisation.

Are social media a danger to democracy?
On 26 February, National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka and ÖAW President Heinz Fassmann presented a much-publicised statement on this issue at the Austrian Parliament. As part of the panel of authors, ITA security expert Stefan Strauß warned against manipulation, for example in political elections or consumer decisions. Social media have the potential to polarise and emotionalise, often with an intent to generate profit. For Strauß, regulation and media literacy are crucial in order to adequately deal with this phenomenon.

Transparency as the key to electoral success
Sociologist Alexander Bogner has established himself as an important voice on effective political crisis management in German-speaking countries and beyond. The principal author of a pandemic review study commissioned by the Austrian government emphasised that ‘it must be transparent who advises politicians and how these experts get appointed.’ Despite the efforts of policymakers to manage the crisis, key questions about policy advice remain unanswered. According to Bogner, the public has a right to be informed about how and by whom evidence is shaped, who asks the questions, and what range of answers is actually taken into account.

Focus on the global impact digitisation
Astrid Mager, a science and technology studies scholar at ITA, is an expert on automation bias and the social impact of digitisation. As part of an international expert panel, she co-authored a study on the perception and critical discussion of digitisation in different countries around the globe. For Mager, cultural and socio-political differences are key factors: even within the EU, the struggle for viable data protection guidelines has sparked heated discussions that have revealed different views and political currents in different countries. Therefore, in order to make ethical decisions, technology governance approaches must consider the social, cultural and political contexts of regulatory measures, according to the study authors.

ITA scientists at World Food Day
On 16 October, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) celebrated Global World Food Day – a day of action around the topic of nutrition and food production. This year's motto was: ‘The right to food for a better life and a better future’. A team of ITA scientists, led by Ulrike Bechtold and Mahshid Sotoudeh, joined in the activities: the ITA is currently working on this urgent social challenge in the EU project ‘ToNoWaste’. The project's mission is to encourage stakeholders in European food systems to make better choices for more sustainable production and consumption patterns. ‘The production of food and all the steps that go along with food production play a pivotal role. For example, the ecological footprint of food is eventually also relevant for planetary and human health,’ says Bechtold.

 

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news-33896 Tue, 28 Jan 2025 13:54:34 +0100 How vulnerable are digitalised infrastructures? https://epub.oeaw.ac.at/ita/ita-dossiers/ita-dossier078en.pdf A new ITA dossier sheds light on the risks of digital networking. For author Strefan Strauß, problems arise from inadequate security, increasing economic and technological dependencies and the impairment of the fundamental rights of private individuals. News English Starseite_EN OpenTA Stefan Strauß news-33012 Thu, 12 Dec 2024 16:29:00 +0100 More than 100 submissions from 34 countries! https://www.oeaw.ac.at/en/ita/veranstaltungen/etac6 Many thanks to all submitters for engaging in this first globalTA conference! The aim of this conference is to bring together TA practitioners and other experts from around the world who are interested in technology assessment (TA). The focus is on different approaches and visions for international cooperation.

Submit your entry now! Click here for the Call for Papers

‘TA needs to be viewed from a global point of view – technology is not limited to national territories in its development, application and regulation. Furthermore, relevant and valuable expertise on the social impact of new technologies is available on all continents. We are therefore very pleased that Vienna will be hosting this international and transcontinental exchange for the first time,’ emphasises Karen Kastenhofer, Deputy Director of the ITA. ‘It will also be an opportunity to look at our European approaches from a different angle.’

GlobalTA is a network of non-profit organisations from around the world that work together in the field of technology assessment and policy advice. Since its beginnings in 2019, the aim is to help shape responsible and sustainable innovation in order to meet the major global challenges of our time.

Information about the event

TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT GOES GLOBAL
International Conference, hosted by the Institute of Technology Assessment (ITA) at the Austrian Academy of Sciences in cooperation with the globalTA network

Vienna/Austria & hybrid on June 2-4, 2025

Call for Papers

GlobalTA network

 

 

 

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News English Starseite_EN OpenTA Karen Kastenhofer Michael Nentwich
news-32941 Tue, 10 Dec 2024 12:00:05 +0100 Interview: In a digitalized world, who has the right to the city? http://www.oeaw.ac.at/en/news-1/interview-in-a-digitalized-world-who-has-the-right-to-the-city Facial recognition, smart lampposts, and sensors throughout the city capture information – how do governments use big data and artificial intelligence (AI) to make decisions that impact collective rights? How does this affect people living in cities? For two months, ITA researcher Rafaela Cavalcanti de Alcantara visited Instituto Mora in Mexico City to find out more about how digitization affects people living in cities in different ways, when aspects like gender, sexual orientation, ability, ethnicity, and class, for instance, are taken into consideration.

Rafaela Cavalcanti de Alcantara, you spent two months in Mexico during the EU PRODIGEES project researching the impact of digitization on urban planning and human rights. What where the experiences that will stay with you the most?

Cavalcanti de Alcantara: As a Latin American researcher in diaspora   , it is meaningful when I have the opportunity for an exchange with colleagues about issues relevant for Latin America.  Being hosted by Instituto Mora fostered significant encounters with researchers and students who also have been elaborating on themes like territorialities, social struggles, and new technologies. Moreover, my exchange with the Center for Gender Researches and Studies of the National Autonomous University of Mexico was a highlight of my stay. I attended three workshops they offered, visited their Fanzine library, and had relevant talks with their staff and researchers connected to the centre. It was exceptional to get to know their transdisciplinarity as well as experience generosity as an academic practice both at Instituto Mora and CIEG.

What led you to do research about “body-territory”? Can you explain the concept?

Cavalcanti de Alcantara: The concept of body-territory itself comes originally from Latin America.  It raises awareness about how the exploitation of common goods, such as indigenous, urban or rural land, involves the violation of the body of each person as well as the collective body. Coming from Brazil and being currently based in Europe makes me think about a colonialist past and present, so questions of territory, of what land who is entitled to use and why, are always crucial. Also, I think about the body as the first place we occupy in the world. What those bodies represent affects the access to, or exclusion from, specific spaces and rights.

This research trip gave me an opportunity to look at the increasing use of databases to manage cities. I also got to further explore the body-territory concept. By raising awareness about the situation   of each body in the world, it challenges the liberal idea of the “individual” as being a cis-white male. I believe this is important because “abstract” or “imagined” urban citizen models consider rights somehow “taken for granted.” However, when thinking about people living in the cities, we should consider conditions in the real world.

You are focusing on the digitization of cities in your research. How is that related to technology assessment?

Cavalcanti de Alcantara: Digitization or datafication of cities may refer to a diversity of initiatives deployed in urban spaces, often including new technologies involving big data. Bearing in mind those contexts, for technology assessment we should consider that there is no such thing as a neutral technological tool or neutral knowledge production. Ideas, priorities, budget allocation, urban policies, and data analysis come from situated perspectives and views about the world. Therefore, assuming the lack of neutrality in technology is an essential initial step to avoid thinking about “one size fits all” urban technological tools.
Our bodies, as the first place we occupy in the world, inform the possibilities of living as a first scale of territoriality, so we all have a position from which we see and interact with the world. Recognizing it is a crucial step to realise the need to discuss city policies with the diversity of people, groups, social movements, and collectives that make a city.

In your experience, how do governments use big data to make decisions about individual rights? How does this affect people and human rights?

Cavalcanti de Alcantara: I have some years of experience in human rights advocacy in South America, where I have closely followed debates about mass biometric surveillance. The untargeted use of facial recognition on streets and other spaces accessed by the public is a significant issue concerning not only privacy but also the presumption of innocence and other rights like freedom of expression and association. When I was involved in those discussions, I learnt that new urban technologies are never deployed in a “vacuum.” If a technology tool is applied within a specific space, we have to take into consideration that it is enacting a territory with meanings, needs, inequalities, and differences. This encompasses, of course, considering the diversity of bodies that inhabit those places.  

With my work, I want to raise awareness about different ways to use big data in the cities, which also encompasses thinking about whether performing some of those uses is really necessary. Challenging narratives that frame big data deployments as objective or neutral is crucial.

Bio

Rafaela Cavalcanti de Alcantara has been a researcher at ITA since January 2023. She is a PhD candidate in Science and Technology Studies, holds a Master’s Degree in Human Rights and is also a registered lawyer in Brazil. In addition to her research experience, she served civil society organizations for around six years, involved in legal empowerment and Human Rights advocacy efforts . At ITA, she dedicates herself to understanding the connections between welfare, data analysis, and the use of algorithms in the public sector – especially regarding urban management and social security. Her stay in Mexico was funded by the EU project PRODIGEES.  

 

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news-32810 Tue, 03 Dec 2024 13:33:31 +0100 How will artificial intelligence transform the working practices of knowledge work? http://www.oeaw.ac.at/en/news-1/how-will-artificial-intelligence-transform-the-working-practices-of-knowledge-work What does critical AI literacy mean and what role do knowledge and basic technical skills play in the constructive use of AI? The recently published ITA project report on critical AI literacy sheds light on these questions. The use of artificial intelligence poses new challenges for knowledge work. The final report of the 18-month research project CAIL (Critical AI Literacy) deals, among other things, with the contradictions and similarities between knowledge work and AI, the added value that AI applications can actually bring, and the central challenges that need to be overcome in the process.

The “CAIL-framework” developed in the project is used to show which factors and basic skills – in particular human interpretative capacity and coping capacity – are crucial when dealing with AI systems in order to be able to meet the challenges constructively.

The benefits of AI ‘are overestimated’

Stefan Strauß, project manager and AI expert at the Institute of Technology Assessment (ITA) of the ÖAW, says: ‘Among other things, the analysis shows that AI can be particularly useful for repetitive, formalized tasks. However, many questions remain unanswered: The benefits of AI are sometimes overestimated and there is a lack of knowledge about the real benefits and limitations of the technologies. There is a gap between using AI as an expert system and using it simply as an add-on. The more abstract the application, the greater the possibility of practical problems.”

According to author Stefan Strauß, there is a great deal of potential in areas with a high level of expertise, such as diagnostic imaging in medicine. In all areas, specialist knowledge, clear purposes and an awareness of the problems associated with the special features of AI-based automation (such as dynamics, complexity and volatility) are crucial factors for constructive use. The assumption that AI will reduce the workload, on the other hand, is difficult to sustain.

Human control is still urgently needed

The high expectations of added value are offset by an underestimated additional workload associated with the use of AI – particularly in terms of quality assurance. Although AI systems can produce results quickly, additional measures are needed to ensure that these results are correct and reliable. ‘Interpretation and verification remain an essential human task, and will become even more important in the future. That is why Critical AI Literacy is becoming a part of modern knowledge work,’ emphasises Strauß.

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news-32788 Mon, 02 Dec 2024 12:04:26 +0100 Artificial Intelligence and Democracy http://www.oeaw.ac.at/en/news-1/artificial-intelligence-and-democracy The EPTA Report 2024 addresses the impact of AI on elections and public discourse, the use of AI in parliaments and the democratic control of AI. German translations of the summary for political decision-makers and the country report on Germany are now available. What challenges does artificial intelligence (AI) pose for democracy? The current EPTA report, which was presented by this year's chair, the Norwegian Board of Technology (NBT), at the annual EPTA conference in Oslo on 21 October 2024, examines the impact of AI on elections and public discourse, the use of AI in parliaments and the public sector, and the possibilities for democratic control and governance of AI.

The report contains contributions reflecting the experiences of 19 countries, with the ITA being Austria's EPTA member.

Austria reports on current developments in government and administration

Governments are increasingly adapting AI models developed by companies such as Meta, Google and Microsoft to their own needs. At present, the technical possibilities for doing so are still limited. Ministries and administrative bodies are therefore receiving customised versions of chatbots like ChatGPT.

For example, the ITA reports on the Austrian Ministry of Education, Science and Research, which has signed a contract with Microsoft for the use of its cloud computing platform Azure with customised access to OpenAI's ChatGPT application. The intention is even to use it to create questions used in mathematics school leaving exams. The study ‘Generative AI and Democracy’, which the Austrian Parliament has commissioned from the ITA and which is still ongoing, is also mentioned.

Partial translation available in German

As a special service for the German-speaking technology assessment community, the public and members of parliament, TAB, the technology assessment unit at the German parliament, is providing both the German country report and the summary for political decision-makers in German translation.

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news-32720 Wed, 27 Nov 2024 11:25:54 +0100 eXit: Why we are no longer updating our X account http://www.oeaw.ac.at/en/news-1/exit-why-we-are-closing-our-x-account You can follow us on Bluesky, LinkedIn, Facebook or Mastodon! We profoundly believe that independent research is an essential feature of a democratic society. Since our founding, one of our most important goals at the ITA was to deliver impartial work in a transparent manner.

That is why we communicate our scientific results via independent media, whose primary goal is to report based on facts and thus promote informed opinions and objective discourse. The Austrian media law emphasizes those principles. We also see it as our duty to actively counter hate speech, fake news and a lack of transparency as anti-democratic phenomena.

Since the change in ownership in 2022, the short message service X (formerly Twitter) has undergone a continuous change towards one-sided political opinion-forming and no longer fulfils the requirements of a neutral, independent platform that tries to prevent hateful, discriminatory and disinformative content. For this reason, we no longer use X as a news channel until further notice.

Follow the ITA on our alternative social media channels

We will continue to use our channels on  Bluesky, LinkedIn, Facebook and Mastodon to disseminate our research results and announce events. We hope that you, our loyal and highly valued X followers, will also follow us there and look forward to continuing an exciting scientific discourse on new technologies and their impact on society!

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news-32570 Thu, 14 Nov 2024 11:16:57 +0100 What skills are essential for policy advice today http://www.oeaw.ac.at/en/news-1/welche-kompetenzen-braucht-die-politikberatung-heute In times of AI and social upheaval, the political landscape changes too. From 18 to 20 November, experts in technology assessment discussed in Berlin how policy advice can be provided transparently, independently and efficiently. The political landscape is in turmoil, the earth is reaching the limits of its resources: humanity today is confronted with significant change and unrest. What do decision-makers need most in this situation? And what skills do advisory bodies need to have in order to deal with uncertainty, crises and growing complexity?

These important questions havel been discussed at the conference of the Technology Assessment Network, which includes researchers and institutions from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The network is celebrating its 20th anniversary with this 11th edition of the NTA conferences.

ITA showed strong presence

At the occasion of this anniversary, the ITA contributes on various levels: Karen Kastenhofer, who is also a member of the conference's scientific advisory board, moderated a panel on the advisory needs of politics in times of polycrises. In her lecture, she analysed quality standards of scientific policy advice. Alexander Bogner moderated a panel on the topic of quality assurance in policy-advising technology assessment, in which ITA director Michael Nentwich also participated, alongside the heads of ITAS and TAB. Bogner held a lecture on quality assurance in policy advice.

Michael Nentwich and colleagues from Germany also organised a workshop on the use of generative AI in policy advice. Furthermore, Michael Ornetzeder from ITA talked about his experiences at the international level as a member of the European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC). Rafaela Cavalcanti de Alcântara, a doctoral student at ITA, presented results from the ongoing AutoWelf and Prodigees projects, André Gazsó reported on 17 years of NanoTrust and Mahshid Sotoudeh, Saskia Favreuille and Ulrike Bechtold talked about their policy advice experiences in the area of food redistribution. Finally, representatives of ITA moderated a total of six sessions and keynotes.

The meeting was organised by the Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS) of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in cooperation with the ITA, the Fraunhofer ISI, the IQIB in Bad Neuenahr and TA-Swiss.

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News English Starseite_EN OpenTA Alexander Bogner Karen Kastenhofer Mahshid Sotoudeh Michael Nentwich Michael Ornetzeder Rafaela Cavalcanti de Alcantara Saskia Favreuille Steffen Bettin Ulrike Bechtold
news-32475 Tue, 05 Nov 2024 14:31:52 +0100 ITA continues nano research https://www.oeaw.ac.at/en/ita/projects/current-projects/nanotrust-beyond NANOTRUST-BEYOND: Now in its 4th stage, André Gazso and his team will continue to collect knowledge and connect stakeholders in this long term project on nano technologies and advanced materials, which has been running since 2007. News English NanoTrust News Starseite_EN OpenTA André Gazsó news-32437 Wed, 30 Oct 2024 16:29:06 +0100 Call for Papers: Technology Assessment Goes Global http://www.oeaw.ac.at/en/news-1/call-for-papers-etac6 Where in the world do technology assessment or comparable approaches actually exist? What does it take to reach decision-makers in different countries? From 2 to 4 June, international experts will discuss these and other questions in Vienna at the sixth conference of the European TA community, which is also the first conference of the globalTA network. The aim of this conference is to bring together TA practitioners and other experts from around the world who are interested in technology assessment (TA). The focus is on different approaches and visions for international cooperation.

Submit your entry now! Click here for the Call for Papers

‘TA needs to be viewed from a global point of view – technology is not limited to national territories in its development, application and regulation. Furthermore, relevant and valuable expertise on the social impact of new technologies is available on all continents. We are therefore very pleased that Vienna will be hosting this international and transcontinental exchange for the first time,’ emphasises Karen Kastenhofer, Deputy Director of the ITA. ‘It will also be an opportunity to look at our European approaches from a different angle.’

GlobalTA is a network of non-profit organisations from around the world that work together in the field of technology assessment and policy advice. Since its beginnings in 2019, the aim is to help shape responsible and sustainable innovation in order to meet the major global challenges of our time.

Information about the event

TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT GOES GLOBAL
International Conference, hosted by the Institute of Technology Assessment (ITA) at the Austrian Academy of Sciences in cooperation with the globalTA network

Vienna/Austria & hybrid on June 2-4, 2025

Call for Papers

GlobalTA network

 

 

 

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News English Starseite_EN OpenTA Karen Kastenhofer Michael Nentwich
news-32398 Mon, 28 Oct 2024 14:36:06 +0100 Against food waste http://www.oeaw.ac.at/en/news-1/against-food-waste The ToNoWaste project is taking important steps to prevent food waste. A new ITA dossier summarises previous findings, and a Winter School will be held in Valencia in 2025. Food waste is a serious global problem and a threat to sustainable development. Overproduction, damage to products and packaging and incorrect storage, including in households, lead to many tonnes of food being destroyed or thrown away every year.

The mission of the EU ToNoWaste project is to support stakeholders in European food systems in making better choices for more sustainable production and consumption patterns. The new ITA dossier ‘Saving food together’ provides previous findings from the project. Click here to download (PDF, 2 pages)

Cordial invitation to the ToNoWaste Winter School!

From 24-26 February there will be the opportunity to work on the topic: together we will look for perspectives and insights to stop food waste. The Winter School will take place in Valencia, Spain. Click here for the Save-the-Date.

ITA project ToNoWaste

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News English Starseite_EN OpenTA Ulrike Bechtold
news-31518 Mon, 21 Oct 2024 14:08:22 +0200 New project: Biodigitalisation at the Natural History Museum Vienna https://www.oeaw.ac.at/en/ita/projects/current-projects/the-natural-history-museum-vienna-as-a-hub-for-biodigitisation Everything is going digital – even natural history! A vast variety of digitial approaches are currently revolutionizing our natural history museums, our view of the animate and inanimate natural world, and our scientific possibilities. The project BioDigitalization is conducted in close cooperation with the Natural History Museum Vienna and addresses relating potentials and open questions. News English Starseite_EN OpenTA Karen Kastenhofer news-31379 Mon, 07 Oct 2024 14:19:36 +0200 Senior Scientist Astrid Mager habilitates at the University of Vienna http://www.oeaw.ac.at/en/news-1/senior-scientist-astrid-mager-habilitates-at-the-university-of-vienna Rethinking algorithms – in her freshly printed habilitation on search engines, Mager takes a close look at visions and values in the design of search engines Visions and values in the design of search engines are the focus of the habilitation thesis of ITA Senior Scientist Astrid Mager. Mager shifts the focus from the effects of search engines on society to socio-technical practices and power relations that are involved in the construction of search engines in the broader social context.

She places particular emphasis on the European context, where there has long been a debate about how to contain and regulate large tech companies like Google and their business practices, but also how alternative search engines can thrive in the shadow of large, commercial players.

'Only by understanding how search engines are shaped and negotiated in different cultural and socio-political contexts can we think about renegotiating search engines in the future – especially in Europe, where values such as data protection, independence and digital sovereignty are held high in EU policy,’ emphasises Mager, who presented her habilitation on 30 September. The science and technology researcher works at the interface between the internet and society and was elected to the Young Academy of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in 2018.

Links

Astrid Mager – CV and publications

Young Academy of the Austrian Academy of Sciences

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news-31349 Thu, 03 Oct 2024 13:51:44 +0200 How to deal with emerging technosciences? http://www.oeaw.ac.at/en/news-1/how-do-we-deal-with-technologised-science ITA Vice Director Karen Kastenhofer has completed her habilitation in Science and Technology Studies at the University of Vienna. What is the social significance of the ongoing hybridisation of science and engineering? How do we want to control technological aspects of contemporary science in society? How should we deal with technological potentials that come without in-depth understanding?

Kastenhofer, deputy head of the Institute of Technology Assessment (ITA) at the Austrian Academy of Sciences, addresses these questions. On 19 September, she presented her internationally acclaimed work on ‘techno-epistemic cultures’ and received the positive decision of the habilitation committee.

Kastenhofer has always been interested in the question of how different epistemic cultures are reflected in the quality, expectations and applications regarding scientific output. Her work at the ITA focuses on the reconstruction of technoepistemic cultures and on evidence-informed governance models  for controversial technologies such as genetic engineering.

 

Links

Bio und Publications Karen Kastenhofer

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News English Starseite_EN OpenTA Karen Kastenhofer
news-31305 Tue, 01 Oct 2024 12:50:25 +0200 UK health expert Natasha Mutebi visits ITA http://www.oeaw.ac.at/en/news-1/endlich-wieder-face-to-face In the summer, the ITA received a visit from the UK: Natasha Mutebi, science advisor to the British Parliament, spent a week exchanging ideas with experts at the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the Austrian Parliament. ‘We can understand so much more about each other when we see each other,’ says Ulrike Bechtold, the organiser of the visit. For a week in July, the ITA had the opportunity to gain an interesting insight into the work of the research and innovation team at POST, the UK's science advisory body to Parliament. Highlights included a visit to the Austrian Parliament and a vivid presentation of the UK Parliament's Horizon Scanning 2024 initiative, which sparked a stimulating discussion on AI regulation, quality assurance and forward-looking policy frameworks.

‘Together, we were able to talk in depth and exchange views on different aspects of project work. This opportunity, to take time to look at something from different angles, was very important. Sometimes important aspects and insights can only be reached via detours - a real discussion simply takes time,’ says Bechtold.

‘What particularly impressed me was the ITA's diverse portfolio of work,’ says Mutebi. ‘I look forward to further strengthening the link between the UK and the EU in the area of technology assessment and science policy.’

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News English Starseite_EN OpenTA Ulrike Bechtold
news-30800 Wed, 14 Aug 2024 09:41:42 +0200 New Book: "Gestreamt, gelikt, flüchtig – schöne neue Kulturwelt?" https://www.oeaw.ac.at/en/ita/publications/books/gestreamt-gelikt-fluechtig-schoene-neue-kulturwelt Digitalisation is the driving technology of our time; its children are called the internet, smartphones and social media. This digital family is shaping and changing the way we think, feel and decide. In other words, it is shaping our culture. News English Publication news Starseite_EN news-30721 Thu, 01 Aug 2024 14:52:46 +0200 "Any raw material that is critical for Europe can cause problems" http://www.oeaw.ac.at/en/news-1/any-raw-material-that-is-critical-for-europe-can-cause-problems Critical raw materials such as lithium or manganese are rare, but are urgently needed for Europe's economy. A new study for the European Parliament sheds light on the role of research and development in supplying the EU. Co-authors Steffen Bettin and Saskia Favreuille from the ITA explain where the risks lie and why each raw material poses different problems. The supply of mineral raw materials such as copper or lithium is of great importance for the European economy and essential for social prosperity. As they are difficult to replace and can only be mined in a few countries, there is a high risk of supply difficulties. Currently, 34 raw materials are considered critical in the EU, 17 of which could become particularly important in the future and are already referred to as "strategic raw materials".

A new study, in which the Institute of Technology Assessment (ITA) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences participated, was presented to the European Parliament's Committee on Science and Technology in Strasbourg on July 22. It was only in May that the EU passed its own Critical Raw Materials Act in order to prevent possible supply or mining bottlenecks. The study for the European Parliament shows how research and innovation can help solve problems relating to the supply of critical raw materials.

Risks in extraction, processing and supply

According to Steffen Bettin and Saskia Favreuille from the ITA, the problems are manifold: "Care must be taken to ensure that extraction is sustainable, and this requires less energy consumption. We also need more research into the interactions between raw material extraction and the environment. Attention must be paid to energy efficiency not only during extraction, but also when refining the materials," emphasizes Steffen Bettin. At present, the majority of refining is carried out in countries such as China for cost reasons. "We should actually consider mining raw materials in Europe again, because it is very problematic to outsource this to areas that have lower safety, environmental or social standards," says Bettin.

For Saskia Favreuille, research as a whole is lagging behind: "There are a lot of raw materials that we classify as critical, but only a few of them are sufficiently investigated." When reviewing past EU projects, she discovered that a number of raw materials on the list of those to be classified as critical have not yet been researched or have hardly been researched at all: "Cobalt and lithium, which is very much in vogue at the moment due to e-mobility, are being discussed a lot, but other raw materials are just as urgently needed," emphasizes Favreuille.

More research urgently needed

The authors of the study conclude that more international cooperation is needed in order to keep the promise of sustainability. "Research and innovation must play a greater role in new cooperation agreements so that they don't just remain declarations of intent," Bettin and Favreuille agree. "Additional knowledge and technical innovations are definitely needed to prevent supply problems. More attention also needs to be paid to the environmental and social impact."

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News English Starseite_EN OpenTA Saskia Favreuille Steffen Bettin
news-30578 Tue, 16 Jul 2024 12:27:19 +0200 Nano materials in ceramic dental implants http://www.oeaw.ac.at/en/news-1/ceramic-dental-implants What happens if nanomaterials are released into the tissue when ceramic implants wear down? The latest NanoTrust dossier sheds light on the opportunities and risks of innovative materials. The new NanoTrust Dossier No. 63 deals with biocompatible dental implants made of ceramic, which are increasingly replacing the usual titanium implants. In addition to aesthetic benefits such as colour fastness, these metal-free materials are also more compatible with tissue in patients with pre-existing conditions or metal allergies. Other advantages include improved chances of healing in the bone and a longer lifespan.

However, through abrasion technical nanomaterials can be released during the insertion and use of these implants. Although no negative interactions in the human body are known to date, possible health risks must be taken into account and investigated in more detail for authorisation procedures for innovative materials.

The current NanoTrust dossier on this topic provides an overview of the material properties of ceramic dental implants in comparison with conventional implants made of titanium and explains the potential opportunities and risks associated with the use of this material in dental implantology.

Link
NanoTrust Dossier "Ceramic dental implants - Structure, properties, and potential risks of innovative materials"
Authors: Andreas Breitwieser, Anna Pavlicek, Florian Part, Marius Koppler, Mike Zäuner, Eva-Kathrin Ehmoser, André Gazsó

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News English NanoTrust News Starseite_EN OpenTA André Gazsó
news-30378 Thu, 27 Jun 2024 13:57:33 +0200 "We have to see technology as an open question, it is not a fact" http://www.oeaw.ac.at/en/news-1/we-have-to-see-technology-as-an-open-question-it-is-not-a-fact Karen Kastenhofer is the new Deputy Director of the Institute of Technology Assessment at the Austrian Academy of Sciences. Action on the effects of artificial intelligence and the climate crisis should be at the top of everybody's list, she says. In her inaugural interview, Kastenhofer explains how she moved from nature to technology and what is needed to strengthen democracies. A doctor of biology and a researcher in science and technology, Kastenhofer realized early on in her career through her research on genetic engineering - and the controversy surrounding it - that science and society sometimes need more than the opinions of experts alone.

Dr. Kastenhofer, how does one become a technology assessor at the Austrian Academy of Sciences, even though there is no training for it?

Karen Kastenhofer: I can only try to answer, but I think it is by never stopping to question things and seeing science as something that can and should be reflected upon. A certain interest in social problems and democratic policy issues is probably also part of it.

You have been at the ITA since 2007, how did you find your way around this mix of different disciplines and world views at the beginning?

Kastenhofer: I had so many questions (laughs). But I felt that I was in the right place and that here, technology research was a possible professional choice. Of course, we all had to find ways of working together and it was not always easy. My self-awareness as a technology assessment specialist also had to develop. I knew individual scientist from the ITA, but I still had to get to know the character of the institute. Suddenly, I was working under a new label. But what exactly was technology assessment (TA)? It was like jumping in at the deep end!

TA also deals with citizens' opinions on technology and actively provides policy advice. How do you make sure the advice is authentic?

Kastenhofer: Dealing with technology is so complex, we have to question so many things: How is technology made and what does technology do to us? How does technology affect our private spaces, how should politics deal with it? I see TA as having a responsibility here, regardless of whether a topic is currently "in" and heavily funded or not. Who has control over technological developments? What interests and values, what expertise flows into this? I want to use my experience to create spaces for honest debate.

You are a biologist. How did you find your way from nature to advanced technologies?

Kastenhofer: I started studying biology because I was fascinated by nature and considered it deeply worthy of protection. I collected mud from the seabed and tried to memorize Austria's 3,000 vascular plants. But very quickly that wasn't enough, because I had to realize that nature conservation needs more than just scientific expertise. If we as humans don't communicate with each other about possibilities, we can't protect nature either. And that's exactly what technology assessment is about - to say, technology has an impact on us, on the environment, on our health, on our coexistence, to ask what is needed for a responsible approach.

I then became increasingly involved with other branches of science, with interdisciplinary research and with the differences between scientific cultures. Social conflicts, in particular the controversy surrounding green genetic engineering, ultimately led me to technology research and TA: I was hired by the University of Augsburg for a project. The aim was to better explain how controversies about new technologies arise. How can it be that experts' opinions on certain topics are diametrically opposed? In the case of agricultural genetic engineering, for example, molecular biologists and organic biologists were at odds with each other. How can it be that no consensus is possible here? I was surprised to discover that conflicts over technology are often not about the technology itself, but about business models and the fear that global corporations and their lobbies will exert power over us.

Was the genetic engineering controversy the first technology conflict that you experienced first-hand?

Kastenhofer : I had a formative experience years earlier that influenced my entire career afterwards: as an idealistic young vegetation ecologist, I carried out field research for Natura 2000. My job was to travel through Austria and list biotopes worthy of protection. I was once sent to an orchid meadow by a biology teacher at the local school - but the local farmers had spontaneously mowed it and covered it with liquid manure. The fear of having new regulations imposed on them was overpowering. These people wanted to preserve the environment, but they didn't want to be told how to do it. That's when I realized how important social interaction and communication are. If we had been able to talk to the people there beforehand, we might have avoided this situation.

This experience made me want to look "behind the science". I then dedicated myself to interdisciplinary sustainability research and the sociology of science and, together with like-minded colleagues, put together my own study program, which was still possible in the 1990s with a little extra effort. We wanted to find ways in which interdisciplinary collaboration could function robustly. We also asked ourselves what kind of world view a university course gives you and what kind of value system. How do you integrate what you experience into your own identity as a person, as a researcher, as an expert?

What would you like to achieve for the ITA, or what is particularly important to you in your new role?

Kastenhofer: I see the role of the ITA as being at the cutting edge without being driven by apparent external constraints. Open questions about digitalization will keep us busy for a long time to come. The climate crisis is a necessary point of reference for practically all of our projects. We need quick but also wise decisions, scientific expertise, but also public understanding and democratic negotiation.

I am certainly not interested in explaining the world to the public. People have a good sense of what is actually at stake. We need to take this seriously and build on it. Technology design needs honesty and transparency, it needs mutual listening and joint discussion. And ultimately, conflicts and balancing of interests are also necessary. This is unpleasant, but it cannot be avoided. TA therefore not only needs scientific expertise, but also committed citizens and strong democracies. The one is actually unthinkable without the other. I see it as my job to play a constructive role in this process.

Bio Karen Kastenhofer

Karen Kastenhofer, born in Vienna in 1974 and raised in Lower Austria, has been working at the Institute of Technology Assessment (ITA) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in the field of "Governance of Controversial Technologies" since 2007. She is a founding member of the Austrian Association for Science and Technology Studies (STS Austria) and a member of the editorial board of "TATuP - Zeitschrift für Technikfolgenabschätzung in Theorie und Praxis." On June 1, she replaced data protection expert and ITA founding member Walter Peissl as ITA's Deputy Director.

Links

ITA projects
New applications of genetic engineering in animals, algae and microorganisms
5G and health
From 'natural philosophy' to 'life science'
TEK - Techno-epistemic cultures of the life sciences
SYNENERGENE

Bio and list of publications

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news-30352 Tue, 25 Jun 2024 13:53:05 +0200 How dangerous are nano technologies? http://www.oeaw.ac.at/en/news-1/gazso-nanokommission-angelobung-2024 „When dealing with nano technologies, we need risk management and, above all, transparency " - Health Minister Rauch appoints risk researcher André Gazsó as chairman of the national nano advisory body for the third time in a row The Nanoinformation Commission (NIK), the official advisory body for the Ministry of Health on issues relating to the safety of nanomaterials and advanced materials since 2013, brings together the who's who of the Austrian nanoscene to discuss important topics such as consumer protection, workplace safety and chemical regulation.

Perceiving risk as an element

André Gazsó, a risk researcher at the Institute of Technology Assessment (ITA) at the Austrian Academy of Sciences, and his deputy, Eva-Kathrin Ehmoser (BOKU Vienna), can look back on a successful second term of office: "So far, we have succeeded in creating transparency and non-partisanship when it comes to nanosafety. The NIK brings together high-ranking representatives of Austrian nano research and regulation to discuss and evaluate current developments in this area. This enables us to continuously improve safety for consumers and employees. The NIK also pays particular attention to current developments in the area of standardization and public risk communication. We can communicate transparently about nanomaterials and advanced materials via our web platform "nano-information.at". In this way, politicians have the opportunity to stay up to date with the latest scientific research and explore potential."

Considering the social impact

In addition to his work at the ITA, Gazsó is also a lecturer at the BOKU and head of a course at the Austrian Standards Institute: "The topic of nanotechnologies is very much about uncertainty and how we as a society deal with new technological developments. Through the NanoTrust project, which I lead and which has been active since 2007, I have become more and more involved in the area of risk management. Now, together with the Austrian Standards Institute, we have also been able to implement a course to become a certified risk manager." On June 24, André Gazsó was reappointed Chairman by Federal Minister Johannes Rauch at the Ministry of Health. Together with his deputy Eva-Kathrin Ehmoser, Head of the Institute for Synthetic Bioarchitectures at BOKU, he will now continue to lead the commission until 2028.

Representatives of the social partners sit on the commission alongside scientists from the Austrian Academy of Sciences and many Austrian universities as well as representatives of ministries and authorities. "This diversity is so important because there are so many different aspects to nano. There is not just one 'nanotechnology'. There is a multitude of different processes, techniques and methods that are relevant for various sectors of the economy and also in everyday life," emphasizes Gazsó.

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News English NanoTrust News Starseite_EN Startseite_DE OpenTA André Gazsó
news-30325 Mon, 24 Jun 2024 13:45:20 +0200 Pioneer of privacy leaving the ITA http://www.oeaw.ac.at/en/news-1/pioneer-of-privacy-leaving-the-ita In his farewell interview, Walter Peissl, founding member of the ITA and now retired Deputy Director, talks about landline telephones, his life's work as a data protection expert, and 36 years of commitment to technology assessment. 36 years...

Walter Peissl: Yes, I started on April 11, 1988.

We should actually be compiling a book now, "The Peissl Archives".

Peissl: There are lists of publications (see below, note) and the text on "30 years of ITA", where you can also find a lot about my work.

And what do you find when you look back?

Peissl: I think about how far we have come. We started out as a group of idealists, five other researchers and myself, including the first head of our "Technology Assessment Unit" (TAU), as it was called at the time, Ernest Braun. Now we work in an advisory capacity in the Austrian Parliament and are as well connected internationally with the European Parliamentary Technology Assessment (EPTA) network and other collaborations as is possible at European level.

But I'm also thinking of the friends I've made, the trips to Australia and gigs by the band Kollegium Kalksburg.

That is your trademark, I think: The researcher who always remained a fulfilled human.

Peissl: I don't believe that you should only dedicate yourself to one thing in life. There are too many beautiful things that are worth living for. This also enriches my work, because my research has always been about focusing on people: Whether in questions of consumer protection, privacy or safety in the workplace.

The workings of science and policy advice have been heavily debated in Austria recently. How have you experienced this connection?

Peissl: For me, technology assessment (TA) in its original form, meaning always with an eye on people, the environment and politics, is inconceivable without policy advice. This usually takes place in parliaments, but also in ministries, at EU level, etc. The USA showed us how to do it in the 80s, and we from this first generation found it such an exciting model that we said: We'll just do it in Austria too! Despite some adversity at the beginning, it was a concept that we were passionate about.

We then worked in Parliament for the first time in 1991 at the only parliamentary Enquete Commission to date, "Technology assessment as applied to the field of genetic engineering", which was held for several months in the run-up to the decision on the Genetic Engineering Act. Members of all five parliamentary groups were there, which was unheard of and still is rare. However, the big leap towards Parliament only came with the current Director, Michael Nentwich. After years of preparatory work, we finally received the first contract for a working group together with the AIT in 2017. The second tender was won exclusively by the ITA. For me, this is an arrival after a three-decade-long process. This requires staying power and a lot of patience.

Geopolitical conflicts are burning - what is the current state of technology assessment?

Peissl: I see a very positive development in Europe: EPTA is still a strong voice for global efforts, and the STOA committee is our link to the EU Parliament. Developments are of course global, Artificial Intelligenz is relevant everywhere, but in the Global South, for example, we have different working methods and problems. The geopolitical situation with China also needs to be discussed: Is it possible to do TA in a non-democratic system? It would also be very important to get Australia on board for GlobalTA, because they have different perspectives on climate change.

Your main topic of research was and is data protection and privacy. You are a well-known face in the media. You were even recently appointed as a member of the Austrian government's first AI advisory board. What is the current state of data protection?

Peissl: There was a boom to explore the interests of privacy and data protection in preparation for the General Data Protection Regulation. We were able to contribute a lot of our work to the projects, such as the SurPRISE project. Now it's more about concrete applications of systems or software. TA is less involved in this process. At the moment, we are working more on the social aspects of artificial intelligence as well as sustainability and social fairness. Key topics are changing, including at EU level, so it's good that we at the ITA work on a broad and interdisciplinary basis.

What issues were important to you for technological development in Austria?

Peissl: In 1988, I carried out a study on the question of whether internal data transmission should be handled by a digital private branch exchange. Or should it run via LANs with Ethernet? We discovered that it's not the technology, but that it's often about who has more power in an organization. The IT department used to be less important than the in-house operations department, because that's where the telephone system was managed. That was a key learning experience: in the end, it is often not the technology that is important for implementation, but the social and non-technical implications. That is technology assessment in a nutshell.

Another development that comes to mind was the size of cell phones: At first, everyone wanted a smaller and smaller cell phone, until they realized that there is a distance from A to B, namely from ear to mouth, which can be estimated on average and should always remain the same - cell phones got bigger again. Now there are Bluetooth headsets, now smartphones have become even bigger.

I know you as someone who has a very strong sense of justice. Do you see that as the main motivation for your life's work?

Peissl: Yes. The issue of justice is a cornerstone of TA. If we perceive all people as equal and there are still differences, we have to investigate where the differences come from: They often come from different interests and designs in economic systems. We can ask questions and not become unscientific if we claim that capitalism promotes inequality. This has been proven many times over. Even if I see that five large tech companies from the USA influence many countries through the tools they provide and which generate a certain global behavior, that is not unscientific.

But I'm not going to attribute anything to myself. I will always attribute everything to the respective team. That's why it's always been important to me that we have people we work well with. My concern has always been to put forward reasonable arguments, to the best of my knowledge and belief, as to why we think what should be done and how. In Austria, we have a constitution, fundamental rights and a lot of knowledge about sustainability and climate change. We can say with a clear conscience that we have always had our finger on the pulse of what is available as a scientific basis. We have never acted in an activist, but always in a factual manner.

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news-30326 Mon, 24 Jun 2024 13:40:00 +0200 Walter Peissl – an incredible 36 years for technology assessment http://www.oeaw.ac.at/en/news-1/walter-peissl-unglaubliche-36-jahre-fuer-die-technikfolgenabschaetzung "Together we were able to achieve a lot because we complemented each other." – A tribute to the retirement of Dr Walter Peissl by ITA Director Michael Nentwich Walter Peissl marks the end of an era at the Institute of Technology Assessment (ITA) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. He was and is a technology assessment expert without ifs and buts – a role model of our profession. Without fear of contact with other ways of thinking, perspectives, and disciplines. With a sure instinct for how to communicate what, when, and to whom. With a good dose of scepticism and a critical approach, but without partisanship. He has managed the difficult balancing act of maintaining a distance from politics and yet being committed, arguing scientifically but not avoiding confrontation.

Dr. Walter Peissl, Deputy Director of the ITA, retired. He has dedicated himself to technology assessment for over three decades.

As one of the very first employees of the Technology Assessment Unit (TAU), the forerunner of the ITA, Walter Peissl was instrumental in establishing technology assessment in Austria practically from the very beginning. He became deputy director in 1990. During his time, the institute developed from a small, highly motivated research group into a highly professional scientific research institution with around 25 employees. Since all the other members of the original group (apart from the author of these lines) have either moved on or retired, Walter was the living institutional memory until a few days ago. He, who learned from the founding father of technology assessment in Austria and first director, Ernest Braun, went through the school of the political consulting professional and second director, Gunther Tichy, and experienced and helped shape all the ups and downs of the establishment and consolidation of the institute, leaves us a great legacy.

Walter Peissl stands for the fundamental right to privacy

It is undisputed that Walter Peissl as a researcher, despite many other thematic excursions, primarily stands for the protection of privacy. In addition to spreading the idea that every new technology must be examined for its benefits and risks for society before it is used, the topic of privacy can justifiably be described as his life's work. For many years, he was the face of the concept of privacy, especially in Austria. In a way, those who are working on the topic today are standing on his shoulders. This is a great achievement, even if the fight for the protection of this democratically valuable fundamental right is far from over.

First on the international stage

He has also helped to build up the Institute's international reputation, having represented the ITA in the European Parliamentary Technology Assessment (EPTA) network since 1993 and co-founding the German-language Netzwerk Technikfolgenabschätzung (NTA) in 2004. He was also actively involved in a number of EU projects, thereby promoting the Institute's professional and social networking with the TA community.

Over the course of his 36 years at the Institute, Walter Peissl has carried out a total of 77 projects, many of which he led himself. These projects cover practically all of the Institute's subject areas over the decades, with a focus on information and communication technologies. As a true TA practitioner, he was not afraid to repeatedly familiarize himself with a new topic and to embrace interdisciplinarity. In three dozen years, he has also published a great deal: an impressive 300 entries in the ITA publications database and almost 200 lectures.

A future with AI

Of course, Walter will not retire completely: he has just been appointed to the AI Advisory Board of the Austrian Federal Government. However, we will miss him as a colleague at the Institute who was always available, as a source of input for ongoing projects, as an acquirer of new projects and commissions, and as a prudent deputy director of the Institute. We celebrated his farewell as it should be: in the company of companions and colleagues from Austria and abroad, some of whom became friends, and even in the presence of our Scientific Advisory Board members. Walter's life's work in the service of technology assessment was honoured in detail in several speeches, musical and cabaret interludes.

Author: Michael Nentwich
June 19, 2024

 

Links

KI-Beirat (German only)

 

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news-30327 Sun, 23 Jun 2024 14:57:00 +0200 AGIDE final conference: "Narratives of Digital Ethics" https://www.oeaw.ac.at/agide/activities On June 27/28, experts from all over the world will explore the question of how differences in approaches to digital ethics can be explained. Highlights include the Boston Dynamics' robot dog "spot" and a public presentation of the world-famous “Moral Machine” experiment by Edmond Awad. www.oeaw.ac.at/agide/activities

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news-29666 Mon, 22 Apr 2024 11:01:49 +0200 AI and Democracy - New concepts of learning required https://www.oeaw.ac.at/en/ita/projects/aid The use of AI demands huge adjustments in teaching. Automated decision-making poses a real threat to democracy. The new project A.I.D. aims to develop and test new learning materials for those teaching at schools and universities. News English Starseite_EN OpenTA Stefan Strauß news-29665 Mon, 22 Apr 2024 10:57:08 +0200 Fair AI -Fostering Austria's Innovative Strength and Research Excellence in Artificial Intelligence https://www.oeaw.ac.at/en/ita/projects/fair-ai This FFG flagship project aims to make it easier for small and medium-sized enterprises to implement the European AI Act and to minimize risks. It addresses the research gap that still exists in Austria with regard to the application of the European AI Act. News English Starseite_EN OpenTA Jaro Krieger-Lamina news-29385 Wed, 20 Mar 2024 11:31:16 +0100 Policy advice in times of crisis http://www.oeaw.ac.at/en/news-1/politikberatung-in-der-krise In sudden crises, there is a lot of uncertainty, yet decisions need to be made quickly. Alexander Bogner and his team used examples from Austria, Germany and the UK to shed light on what good policy advice should look like in times of crisis. During the COVID-19 pandemic, governments had to make decisions under great uncertainty and with a lack of knowledge. Science played a central role in political crisis management. It had to generate data under high pressure and produce solid findings to inform political decisions.

But how can policymakers be advised in the best possible way, what can science do in such complex situations? In the KIRAS project "Epistemic security – on scientific expertise in chronic crises", Alexander Bogner and his team from the Institute of Technology Assessment (ITA) at the Austrian Academy of Sciences analyzed how scientific policy advice can be designed and what resources are needed to promote trust and create transparency. To this end, previous experiences in Austria, Germany and the UK were compared.

According to the researchers, it is particularly important not to make political decisions entirely dependent on science and to also involve the population.

Download ITA Dossier No. 74, "What does good policy advice look like in times of crisis?" (PDF, 2 pages)

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News English Starseite_EN OpenTA Alexander Bogner
news-29351 Mon, 18 Mar 2024 11:42:21 +0100 Biotechnology - an opportunity for climate and nature conservation? http://www.oeaw.ac.at/en/news-1/biotechnology-an-opportunity-for-climate-and-nature-conservation The use of biomass to produce energy, chemicals or products is supposed to accelerate the phase-out of fossil fuels. In a new ITA Dossier, Niklas Gudowsky explains that in order to achieve this it first needs a sustainable bio-economy. The growing applications of biotechnology are raising ever higher expectations: It should contribute to climate and resource protection, among other things, by enabling new forms of biomass, food and energy production.

The challenge here is that industrial biotechnology itself often requires large amounts of energy and resources such as water. In the ‘Zukunft Bio-ÖK’ project, commissioned by the German Ministry of the Environment, experts and stakeholders developed options for the future of biotechnology in a sustainable bio-economy.

"Biotechnology offers many opportunities, for example in food production or the recycling of plastic. However, the danger lies in trying to ‘solve’ the problems of our time, such as a lack of resources or growing plastic waste, with new technologies instead of implementing more far-reaching measures", says Gudowsky, summarising the results.

Download: ITA Dossier No. 76, Biotechnology - an opportunity for climate and nature conservation? (PDF, 2 pages)

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News English Starseite_EN OpenTA Niklas Gudowsky-Blatakẽs