DEMGES activities & Inclusive AI Lab

Posted on 1 December 2025 by astrid

Two weeks ago, we had a fabulous DEMGES (ÖAW Commission Democracy in Digital Societies) workshop with experts from both the academic and the policy world! The main purpose of the workshop was to discuss our concept of digital hybridization that we’ll submit to Politics & Society soon (led by Jensen Sass). A public lecture by Aris Komporozos-Athanasiou from the Center of Capitalism Studies/ London rounded off the inspiring two-day meeting: The price of truth; an interview with Aris can be found on the ÖAW Website (in German). The next steps of the commission are the plannning of the Democracy Labs to be conducted over the next years.

One Democracy Lab will be carried out in synergy with the Inclusive AI Lab in Utrecht, co-led by Payal Arora. The Inclusive AI lab is dedicated to developing more equitable, participatory, and community-led AI systems – with a particular focus on the Global South; or the Majority World. I’m really proud that I’ll be part of this year’s cohort group – together with lots of inspiring academics, developers, NGOs, and practitioners from around the world! Stay tuned, further DEMGES/ Inclusive AI events & activities will be announced soon!

Project Europe is finally out!

Posted on 1 December 2025 by astrid

It has taken some time, but now the book Project Europe. The Making of European Digital Innovation, Policy and Society is finally out! The book is co-edited by Luca Marelli, Jim Dratwa, Gert Verschraegen and Ine Van Hoyweghen and comprises an excellent line-up of authors including Barbara Prainsack, Brice Laurent, and Ulrike Felt (just to name some of them). I’m happy that I’ve contributed a chapter on Digital Europe from Below: Alternative routes to the Digital Decade – here’s the link to the table of contents.

AI & Democracy @ Digital Humanism Conference

Posted on 2 April 2025 by astrid

Early bird registration for the Digital Humanism conference in May (Vienna) open until beginning of April!! I’ll be hosting a session on AI & Democracy together with Katja Mayer (28.5.2025): we’ve fabulous guests from around the world: Teki Akuetteh (Ms.), Siddhi Gupta, Michael Veale & Sebastian Kneidinger – to discuss how to move from values to action in terms of inclusive AI, human rights, and participatory design in times of political turmoil. This event is co-hosted by the ÖAW initiative “Democracy in Digital Society” (DEMGES) that I co-lead together with Barbara Prainsack (chair).

Situated Ethics

Posted on 2 April 2025 by astrid

I’m happy to share our new publication “Situated Ethics. Ethical accountability of local perspectives in global AI ethics” that has just been published in Media, Culture & Society (co-authored by Magdalena Eitenberger, Jana Winter, Barbara Prainsack, Christiane Wendehorst, P ayal Aror a & me! The publication is closely related to the AGIDE project (Academies for Global Innovation and Digital Ethics); the project report can be found here!- A big thank you goes to Payal Arora & Simone Natale for putting together the special issue “Situating AI: Global media approaches to Artificial Intelligence” of which our article is part of!! – coming out soon, so stay tuned! 😉

I did it!!!

Posted on 11 October 2024 by astrid

2 weeks ago, I defended my habilitation “Algorithmic Imaginaries. Visions & values in the shaping of search engines” at the Department of Science & Technology Studies, University of Vienna. I truly thank Uli Felt, Max Fochler & the whole habilitation commettee for their support throughout the rather lengthy process. I especially thank Karen Kastenhofer for sharing the ride with me! It was a blast! 🙂

Here’s the ITA news, and the so-called “Rahmenschrift“. Enjoy!!!

ÖAW initiative: Democracy in Digital Societies

Posted on 17 September 2024 by astrid

On the 10th of October 2024 we – Barbara Prainsack and me – start a new initiative at the Austrian Academy of Sciences: Democracy in Digital Societies (ÖAW commission).
Besides an internal workshop and the official inauguration, there will be a public event
with a lecture by Sophie in ‘t Veld, former member of the European Parliament, followed by a panel discussion with Ilona Kickbusch, Sonja Puntscher-Riekmann, Barbara Prainsack, and me (moderated by Anna Goldenberg). We’re looking forward to seeing you there!

More information and registration for the event can be found here.

Ars Electronica Workshop

Posted on 17 September 2024 by astrid

This year, Doris Allhutter and I conducted a future scenario workshop at the Ars Electronica Festival focusing on datafication & future cities – as part of the Auto-Welf project we’re currently working on. One case study is focusing on practices & politics of open/ing government data for creating public value (including a digital twin project from Vienna). Stay tuned!

Central questions of the workshop were:

How do we envision future urban living? What data should be made available to serve all citizens equally? How should data support urban life and promote the well-being and opportunities of different people and communities? Designing postcards from the future, workshop participants created visions of the urban life we dream of – corresponding to the theme of the festival: HOPE – who will turn the tide.

AGIDE conference & final report

Posted on 11 June 2024 by astrid

Please join us for the final conference of the AGIDE project (Academies for Global Innovation and Digital Ethics) at the Austrian Academy of Sciences: 27-28 June 2024 (in English):

I hope to see you there!! Also, the final report of the project is out now!!! (in English) Whooo! 🙂

Blog post

Posted on 3 April 2024 by astrid

Please have a look at the blog post I wrote for the Austrian daily newspaper DerStandard. It’s part of the blog post series of the Young Academy of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. And it deals with the Eurpean way towards digital sovereignty with a question mark at the end 😉 – in German.

Europa am Weg zur digitalen Souveränität?

Call for book chapters: Politics of Open Infrastructures

Posted on 11 January 2024 by astrid

Everyone interested in open/ing digital knowledge infrastructures should consider submitting to our call – deadline is 31 January 2024. The book will be co-edited by Katja Mayer, Renée Ridgway and me and is going to be open access – everything else would be ridiculous given the topic! 😉 We’re currently negotiating with De Gruyter..

Here are all the infos you need!

notes from vienna

Author Archives: astrid