Technology Regulations: about the  balancing act between enabling innovation and protecting fundamental rights

In our June session Nikolaus Forgó from the University of Vienna explored one of the most pressing questions of our digital age: Law, Regulation and Governance of Technology. The discussion highlighted that technology regulation has always been a balancing act between enabling innovation and protecting fundamental rights. Today, with AI systems increasingly shaping decision-making, this balance has become more complex.

A central focus of the lecture was the European Union’s AI Act, the world’s first comprehensive regulatory framework for artificial intelligence. The AI Act follows a risk-based approach: the level of regulatory obligations depends on the probability and severity of potential harm. Certain AI applications are prohibited because they are considered to pose an unacceptable risk, while high-risk systems must comply with strict requirements regarding risk management, data governance, transparency, human oversight, accuracy, robustness, and cybersecurity.

The concept of Risk from different perspectives: Nikolaus made us look beyond the simple idea that “more regulation means more safety.”

The concept of risk itself is complex and depends not only on technological capabilities but also on societal values, political priorities, and our perception of uncertainty. The history of technology regulation demonstrates that fears about emerging technologies can influence legislation just as much as measurable risks.

Can trustworthy AI, based on transparency, accountability, and respect for human rights, become a strategic advantage for Europe?

The lecture also addressed the ongoing debate around whether European regulation could slow down technological competitiveness.

• Critics argue that extensive rules may discourage innovation and drive AI development elsewhere, particularly to the United States and Asia. Others emphasize that trustworthy AI, based on transparency, accountability, and respect for human rights, can become a strategic advantage for Europe.
• Another important point was the relationship between the AI Act and the broader European digital regulatory landscape.
  AI governance does not exist in isolation but interacts with other legal frameworks, including data protection, cybersecurity, digital services, and digital markets regulation. This creates a complex ecosystem of overlapping responsibilities for technology providers, organizations, and regulators.

The discussion concluded with a broader reflection that lies at the heart of Digital Humanism: technology is never merely a technical question. It is a societal choice that requires legal, ethical, political, and interdisciplinary perspectives.

Nikolaus Forgo is a valued member of our faculty and Supervisor of the PhD project “Legal Frameworks vs. Technological Realities”  (Candidate Julia Kalus).

LinkedIN Profile Nikolaus Forgo

LinkedIN Profile Julai Kalus

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More Information and Conference Registration https://dighum.wien

The #DigHum2026 conference connects everyone interested in options for a good digital future and life. In conversation across research and policy, with experts and enthusiasts, it will be discussing technology through the lens of human values and democratic principles.

Programme:

The Vienna Doctoral College on Digital Humanism invites during this conference to contribute in “Creating a Responsible, Digital Future” with:

☕ Coffee Talks: PhD candidates and their supervisors in exploratory interviews, taking place during the conference breaks:

• Thursday, 25th:
  12:50h: [Recommendations Explained], Shahrzad Shashaani, Peter Knees
  13:10h: [When are data for and when should we let them go?] Roman Hansen
  16:10h: [Communicating AI] Julia Schuller, Marta Sabou
  
• Friday, 26th:
  10:40: [AI Literacy] Alicia Schwabenbauer, Christina Patricia Schamp
  12:30h: [Interdisciplinary Approaches to User Modeling] Gwendolyn Rippberger, Julia Neidhardt

🖼️ Project Poster Gallery: Explore the 15 associated WWTF projects of the DigHum faculty regarding their research methodology, transdisciplinarity, and societal, environmental impact

🗣️ Survey: “What does digital humanism mean to you personally?” reflection and dialogue of PhD candidates and conference participants, quantitative and qualitative research within the social conference ecosystem

🎨 Artefact*: “Turbulent Topographies Art-Game: A co-creative Ludic and artistic contribution to the DigHum landscape”, artistic project by the Universität für angewandte Kunst Wien, Margarete Jahrmann, WWTF Project “Digital Humanities”. 

The “Forum Doctoral College” is organised and hosted by Pia-Zoe Hahne, Hannah-Seraphina Prendecky and Salome Wagner.

About the Artefact*

Turbulent Topographies Art-Game A co-creative Ludic and artistic contribution to the DigHum landscape 

By the ROBOPSY research Group, DieAngewandte 

Our creative game project aims at enabling the participants of the Forum Doctoral College as well as the visitors to the DigHum Conference 2026 to express their wishes about an ideal scientific community in a playful, artistic and creative way. It is intended to allow the cooperative creation and discussion of ideas that, under the day-to-day workings of academia, would be considered as unrealistic, utopian and far-fetched. This will not only help to reflect on the current state of academia but also bring participants together by making them engage with other’s desires and wishes in a Ludic way. 

The game will consist of two parts: 

1. Mapping the New New Atlantis: This will be a structured game of collective drawing, where the participants will create the map of a New New Atlantis (alluding to Francis Bacon’s utopian scientific community at the threshold of the scientific revolution). Participants can drop in and out of the game, which will be structured by prompt cards. 

2. Collective drone painting: Participants will be able to paint over the map by controlling drones with brushes. By transforming and overwriting the map with an artistic process that is only partially under control of the players (as the drones AI works with pattern recognition and their painting appendage are hard to control), we introduce an anarchic element of social playfulness into the more serious reflections on academia. By repurposing a cutting-edge technology that is mostly known for being used as a weapon, we enable a playful reflection about the uses of technology.

More Information and Conference Registration
https://dighum.wien

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How can Europe develop competitive AI systems while remaining aligned with democratic values, transparency, and human rights? These questions were at the core of the uDay XXIV conference.  The discussions highlighted the importance of a dialogue between academia, industry, policymakers, and civil society. Responsible AI cannot emerge from isolated technical development alone. It requires collaboration across disciplines and institutions, as well as continuous public engagement.

Participating at the uDay XXIV conference, Shahrzad Shashaani and Salomé Wagner presented their projects on responsible AI, transparency, fairness, and interdisciplinary education. Their participation highlighted how Digital Humanism is becoming an essential framework for shaping trustworthy and human-centred artificial intelligence in Europe and around the globe.

Salome Wagner presented the poster “Advancing Responsible AI through Education, Research and Societal Engagement,” focused on the broader Digital Humanism ecosystem at TU Wien and the Vienna Doctoral College on Digital Humanism as project thereof.

The poster outlined how TU Wien integrates responsible AI principles into education, interdisciplinary research, and societal engagement. Rooted in the Vienna Manifesto on Digital Humanism, the initiative promotes a value-driven approach to technological development centred on democracy, inclusion, diversity, and human rights.

The Vienna Doctoral College on Digital Humanism plays a central role in this mission. Established as a collaboration between TU Wien, the University of Vienna, and WU Vienna, funded by the WWTF (Vienna Science and Technology Fund), the college brings together researchers from computer science, law, social sciences, humanities, architecture, and economics.

Its objective is to educate a new generation of researchers capable of understanding both the technological and societal dimensions of digital transformation.

Shahrzad Shashaani, a PhD candidate of the Doctoral College, presented her project  “Recommendations Explained: Towards Transparency and Fairness for Various Stakeholders”.

It explores how music recommender systems influence listening behaviour, artist visibility, and user trust. The research investigates explainability and fairness in AI-driven recommendation systems, focusing on how users understand and adopt algorithmic recommendations. Modern recommender systems often operate as “black boxes,” making decisions that shape cultural consumption without sufficient transparency.

The project addresses a central concern of Digital Humanism: technology should empower individuals rather than manipulate or obscure decision-making processes.

By studying explanation strategies based on musical content, metadata, listening context, and model behaviour, the researchers aim to improve transparency, trust, and user control.

At the same time, the project investigates fairness issues such as popularity bias, where already successful artists receive disproportionate visibility while lesser-known creators remain underrepresented.

LinkedIN Profile Sharzad Shashaani

LinkedIN Profile Salome Wagner

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How much linguistic streamlining can our societies actually afford? Join us as we discuss the ‘digital language divide’ and the profound impact of Large Language Models on global linguistic diversity with a panel of leading experts.

To tackle this interdisciplinary challenge, we have invited three leading experts who bridge the gap between mathematics, computer science, and linguistics:

• Stephanie Godec (Head of Department Education, Austrian Commission for UNESCO (ÖUK))
• András Kornai (Professor of Mathematics, Budapest Institute of Technology)
• Britta Schneider (Professor of English Applied Linguistics, University of Vienna)
• Hannes Werthner (Professor of Computer Science and co-founder of the Digital Humanism initiative, TU Wien)

Join the Discussion at the Hofburg

The event, organized by the DIGILINGDIV project and funded by the WWTF, offers a unique platform to discuss the future of our linguistic heritage in the age of AI.

Event Schedule:

• 17:00: Doors open
• 17:15: Welcome address & DIGILINGDIV research update
• 17:30: Panel Discussion
• 19:00: Networking with snacks, drinks, and poster presentations

Save the Date!
When: Monday, June 15th, 2026 | 17:00 – 20:00
Where: Hofburg, Schreyvogelsaal (Entrance via Michaelerkuppel)
Languages: English and German

Registration: Please register via this link by June 8th.

The DIGILINGDIV project is part of a larger research ecosystem supported by the WWTF.
The project is supported by the dedicated research of three of our PhD candidates, whose work bridges the gap between historical linguistics and modern digital challenges:

• Juliane Benson focuses on linguistic diversity within the context of colonialism and digitalization, with a particular geographic emphasis on Canada.
• Hannes Essfors examines the development of linguistic diversity in the digital space, utilizing frameworks from ecology to analyze the interplay between digital and non-digital diversity and how technology shapes our multilingual society.
• Katharina Zeh investigates how migration and digitalization jointly shape global language diversity, specifically examining lexical borrowing as a key mechanism of language contact and resilience.

Their contributions highlight the interdisciplinary strength of the Digital Humanities Doctoral College and its commitment to understanding the transformation of language in a globalized world.

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Data, Responsibility, and Scientific Practice: Data Management is More Than Compliance

The retreat opened with a session by Florina Piroi and Tomasz Miksa from the Center for Research Data Management at TU Wien. Their talk on Data Management Plans (DMPs) went beyond administrative requirement and illustrated that poor data management can undermine even the best research. Missing metadata, proprietary file formats, unclear licensing, or lack of documentation can make even valuable work unusable.

At its core, research data management is about:

• Reproducibility
• Transparency
• Long-term accessibility
• Ethical and legal responsibility

In the afternoon, we took the chance to visit Schloss Reichenau, where we have been guided through the exhibition by historian Friederike Griessler. Her research about the Semmering and its historical development as place of “Sommerfrische” lasts more than 30 years. She had many interesting insights about the construction of the Semmering Bahn and the pioneering of construction for public transportation.

Serious Games and Democratic Values

The evening session, led by Peter Purgathofer (TU Wien), shifted the perspective: from managing data to rethinking how we learn and reflect.

Under the title“Using non-digital games to enhance learning in interdisciplinary approaches,” the group explored how analog games can foster:

Creative and computational thinking,
Critical Thinking,
Responsible Thinking,
Policy Thinking.

Drawing on concepts like “Ways of Thinking in Informatics,” we experienced how game-based learning brings awareness to ethical tensions, conflicting values, and policy trade-off. Importantly, these were non-digital games — an intentional choice. In a doctoral school focused on digital humanism, stepping away from screens highlighted that technology is embedded in broader social, cultural, and political contexts.

The Vision that Technology Serves Society and Democratic Values

The second morning was dedicated to structured reflection with Florina and Tomasz about DMP. The Key questions in practical use remain the same, no matter the setting:  

• How solid is my methodology?
• Is my data strategy coherent?
• What ethical or legal risks might arise?

The after-noon session finally was the opportunity for the PhD candidates to discuss among themselves the set- up and organisation of their PhD Club and to start the election process for the representativs for the steering board of our college.

Digital Humanism calls for technology that serves society and democratic values. This retreat demonstrated that it starts in everyday research practices: how do we document decisions, how we engage with others, and how we reflect on our own assumptions. It comes down to the integration of three dimensions:

1. Technical competence (data management, FAIR principles, ..)
2. Ethical awareness (legal, societal, and political implications)
3. Reflective and creative methods (serious games / interdisciplinary dialogue)

The two days in Reichenau showed that doctoral education in Digital Humanism is not just about research but about shaping responsible and engaged researchers.

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Poster Presentation at EFPSA Congress 2026: “Breaking Boundaries – Uniting Minds Across Borders and Disciplines”

At the 40^th Congress of EFPSA 2026, Doris Avram from the Vienna Doctoral School on Digital Humanism presented her pilot study that bridges environmental science, human behavior, and digital innovation. Her research, “Navigating Urban Heat in Public Space,” examines how rising temperatures are reshaping the way people move through cities and how technology can support better adaptation.

In this interview, Doris explains how “Navigating Heat” as a research project is built and how to start with the pilot study coming up.

Cities across Europe are increasingly affected by extreme heat, turning everyday activities like walking into cognitively and physically demanding tasks. Avram’s work highlights a critical insight: heat influences not only comfort but also cognition, stress levels, and decision-making. Even without conscious discomfort, physiological signals such as heart rate and skin temperature can already indicate strain.

The study introduces an innovative field experiment combining wearable technology with environmental sensing. Participants are equipped with devices that track heart rate, heart rate variability, skin temperature, and movement, while portable sensors measure air temperature, humidity, and air quality. During a 20–30 minute wayfinding task in an unfamiliar urban setting, researchers observe how individuals navigate between shaded and sun-exposed areas.

What makes this approach particularly powerful is the synchronization of physiological, environmental, and behavioral data. This enables analysis of how thermal exposure affects route choices, pauses, efficiency, and perceived stress. The study expects that higher heat exposure leads to more shade-seeking behavior, less efficient navigation, and increased cognitive load.

Using an interdisciplinary approach that combines psychology, architecture, and computer science, the project aims to refine a methodology applicable to vulnerable groups, such as older adults. Ultimately, it will support the development of a “heat-aware” navigation tool that guides pedestrians along cooler, safer routes in real time.

Doris PhD project exemplifies digital humanism by placing human well-being at the center of technological innovation. It shows how data-driven insights can help create more livable, resilient cities.

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Artificial intelligence is changing the way we work and, with it, cultural creativity. This is also changing our understanding of creativity in a wide variety of disciplines. The WISH 2026 winter school, organised by Universität Augsburg and Technische Hochschule, discussed these interactions between technology, society and culture.

The first talk, held by Peter Knees (TU Wien), discussed the concept digital humanism. Digitalisation is much more than technical progress – it is a social task. Algorithms and AI systems now influence decisions in business, the media and everyday life. Therefore, their development must be considered not only from a technological perspective, but also from an ethical, social and political point of view. Digital humanism puts people at the centre: technologies should be designed in such a way that they strengthen democratic values, promote transparency and take social responsibility into account.

Peter Knees emphasised in particular the importance of education and critical reflection. Anyone working with AI should understand how these systems work, what data they use and what distortions can arise.

Participants at WISH2026 (March 3-7 2026) Speinshart Scientific Center, Germany

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Healthcare facilities are a form of social infrastructure where architecture, human behavior, and digital systems interact to shape wellbeing. The inspiring talk of Milica Vujovic, Associate Professor at Institute of Architectural Sciences, Unit of Digital Architecture and Planning, kicked off the start into our summer semester 2026. The conclusion: in truly human-centered environments, technology should not dominate the experience — it should quietly support it. 

The key is that the technology remains non-intrusive and largely invisible, preserving dignity and autonomy for residents.

Similar approaches can be found in newer dementia villages and psychiatric facilities across Northern Europe. Passive sensors, adaptive lighting systems that support circadian rhythms, and intelligent environmental controls allow caregivers to understand patterns of comfort, stress, and activity without turning patients into constantly monitored subjects.

In this sense, digital systems function less as interfaces and more as care infrastructure. They support staff, reduce cognitive load, and allow more time for meaningful human interaction.

“This approach reflects a core principle of Digital Humanism: technology should enhance human agency rather than replace it. Data is used to understand patterns over time, not to control individuals. The design focus remains on dignity, autonomy, and the lived experience of patients.”

Milica Vujovic

For researchers working at the intersection of architecture, technology, and society, this perspective opens an important question:

What if the most human-centered technology is the one we barely notice?

Digital Humanism does not always appear as software or algorithms. Sometimes, it is embedded in the spaces we inhabit — quietly shaping environments that support wellbeing, autonomy, and care.

LinkedIN Profile

Starting into the Summer Semester 2026 with the Colloquium and Talk by Milica Vujovic, TU Wien

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At the topical debate “AI vs. Planet: Peril or Opportunity?”, Lena Pohlmann delivered a compelling and nuanced perspective on the environmental costs of artificial intelligence with her talk “AI design, planetary health”. Drawing on her interdisciplinary background in physics, philosophy of technology, and computer science, Lena outlined: 

AI is not immaterial — it is deeply embedded in planetary infrastructures. 

Her talk unpacked the entire lifecycle of AI systems, from rare mineral extraction and hardware manufacturing to data-center cooling and energy-intensive training, inference of AI models. With rapid growth projected as AI adoption accelerates, data centers will probably account for around 3% of global electricity consumption by 2030. Lena Pohlmann argued that there is lacking transparency by AI companies regarding those impacts

Lena presenting at the Central European University, January 2026

As a PhD candidate at the Vienna Doctoral College on Digital Humanism, Lena bridges technical analysis with societal inquiry. Her research examines not only the embodied and operational environmental impacts of AI, but also public awareness of these. By combining quantitative social science methods with qualitative interviews in communities near data centers, she will evaluate how environmental costs are unevenly distributed.

Importantly, the talk highlights future research directions for alternative sustainable AI systems. In her PhD project, Lena will analyze how users needs of AI can be met while decreasing environmental impact and how they can be supported to make more informed, sustainability-oriented AI choices.

“Responsible AI innovation is where sustainability is not an add-on, but a core design and governance challenge — and one that demands interdisciplinary solutions.“

About Lena Pohlmann

Lena Pohlmann has an interdisciplinary background with a Bachelor’s degree in Physics, a Master’s degree in Philosophy of Technology from TU Berlin, and research experience in Computer Science. She is a PhD candidate at the Vienna Doctoral College on Digital Humanism with home institution University of Vienna, Political Communication Research Group.

The PhD Project “AI Innovation and Sustainability is supervised by Prof. Dr. Sophie Lecheler (Uni Wien), Prof. Dr. Hajo Boomgarden (Uni Wien) and Prof. Dr. Emanuel Salinger (TU Wien).

LinkedIN Profile

PhD Project Description “AI Innovation and Sustainability”

Lena Pohlmann PhD Project Poster

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