Digital technologies have now permeated every area of our lives and every sphere of social activity. Ever-new digital innovations are shaping how we communicate with one another, how we work, and how we understand our world. But who is shaping these digital technologies and ways they are applied? This ITA project explores the goals, values, and ambitions underlying far-reaching digital transformations in contemporary life sciences.
Around the world, an increasing number of experts are advocating for “digital humanism,” which aims to align digital innovations with societal goals and humanistic values. The Vienna Manifesto on Digital Humanism was signed in 2019 by an interdisciplinary and international group of scholars. According to the experts, where digital technology profoundly shapes our society, we must proceed with particular care.
For several years now, the City of Vienna has been establishing itself as an internationally recognized hub for life science research. This field of research is also significantly shaped by digital innovations and, in turn, helps to shape them. But what are the characteristics and requirements of a humanistic perspective on digital technologies in the context of the life sciences?
Leading experts in technology and ethics call for “combining humanistic ideals with a critical reflection on technological progress.” This means recognizing that the design and use of digital technologies are not value-neutral, and presents us with the challenge of shaping them in such a way that they promote humanistic core values—such as participation and inclusion, justice and transparency, privacy and freedom of speech, self-efficacy and accountability—rather than undermining them.
Based on two case studies, this project examines which humanistic practices and approaches are already established in the Viennese life sciences, and where there are still opportunities to strengthen and further develop such approaches. It explores how responsible digitalization can be strengthened where it matters most—namely in research, teaching, and societal application. The goal is to foster a productive dialogue between life science research and digital humanism as two essential features of Vienna as a research hub.
