Invitation to the FutureTalks Humans & Technology – Living with AI

The University Centre for Human & Data Sciences cordially invites you to the FutureTalks Humans & Technology.

Theme: Living with AI

Programme:

  • Keynote: Yasuo DEGUCHI – Kyoto University
    “From the WE-turn to the Fellowship Model“
  • Round Table
    Tatsuhiko Inatani (Kyoto University)
    Elisabeth Steindl (Ludwig Boltzmann Institute Digital Health and Patient Safety)
    Oskar J. Gstrein (Groningen University)
    Chair: Cornelia Stefan

Date: June 11, 2026

Time: 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Location: Hörsaal 3 

Further details can be found in the attached documents.

Please register here: https://limesurvey.aau.at/Registration

We are looking forward to your registration!

Academies encourage the European Commission to adopt a careful and ethical approach to AI in European crisis management

A group of prominent scientists, nominated by the Academy Networks of SAPEA, part of the Scientific Advice Mechanism to the European Commission, is delivering today a report on the role  of artificial intelligence in emergency and crisis management. Among its members is Andrej Zwitter, currently Professor of Political Theory and Governance at the University of Groningen. In February 2026, he will move to the University of Klagenfurt, where he will hold the Chair of Human Sciences and Digitalisation and head the current Digital Age Research Center. Today the report was offered to Maciej Popowski, Director-General of the European Commission’s DG ECHO (European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations).

Read more →

Multi-UAV Route Planning and Task Assignment for Reforestation Seeding

May 13th 2025 11.45 – 13.15 outdoor HS Kosuta (V.1.27 in case of rain)

About:
Dipl.-Ing. Merna Tohfa is a research and teaching staff member at the Institute
of Networked and Embedded Systems at the University of Klagenfurt.

Abstract : Deforestation in many countries worldwide has led to a significant reduction
in forest areas and a rise in the frequency and intensity of fires, exacerbated by climate
change. The disappearance of native forests contributes to higher net carbon dioxide
emissions in the atmosphere, intensifying the greenhouse effect associated with global
warming [1]. A solution to that problem can be Using drones for aerial seeding in forest
restoration, which holds significant promise but encounters major obstacles that hinder
its efficiency and scalability. Existing methods typically involve blanket seeding across
the entire restoration area, resulting in a large number of seeds being dispersed, many of
which land in locations where they cannot successfully grow [2]. In this research, we
propose Multi-UAV route planning methods that focus on covering selected clusters of
forest land to seed those that have high germination rates instead of seeding all areas of
forest land.

Between Screen and Band saw line 4.0: Mediatization and Subjectivation in the Austrian Forestry and Sawmill Industry

April 30th                       11:45 – 13:15                         HS Kosuta (S.2.05 in case of rain)

Manfred Rosenzopf, BA MA (Doctoral studies in Philosophy)

Abstract of the talk:
This presentation introduces a dissertation project that explores the mediatization and subjectivation of work in traditional industrial sectors. With the increasing integration of digital media and communication technologies, the Austrian forestry and sawmill industry is undergoing significant transformation. But what does this mean for the people working in this sector? The ongoing digitalization and technological transformation of work are of interest not only in media and communication studies but also in the sociology of work.
The project aims to analyse everyday experiences in the Austrian forestry and sawmill industry to examine how new digital work and communication practices influence work culture and social interactions. The dissertation is situated within the tradition of Workplace Studies, an interdisciplinary field concerned with the impact of new technologies on work and subjectivity. Theoretically, the project draws on the concept of communication as a form of agency and its effects on work and subjectivation in everyday life. Empirically, employees of a medium-sized forestry and sawmill company will be interviewed in qualitative studies, work processes will be observed, and documents will be analysed.
Preliminary research has shown that a discursive field around the topic of the digitalized world of work is emerging. The more deeply digital transformation penetrates the world of work, the more it alters its organization, conditions, routines, patterns of knowledge, and value systems. This will be examined and discussed using the Austrian forestry and sawmill industry as a case study.