Keynote speech and panel discussion at Binder Grösswang: AI and ethics – How is AI affecting our society?

Binder Grösswang, together with the Center for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (CAIML)at the Vienna University of Technology, hosted a panel discussion entitled “AI and Ethics – How is AI affecting our society?” at its Vienna offices.

On the panel: Univ. Prof. Mag. Dr. Sabine T. Köszegi, ergonomist, organizational researcher, and director of the Institute for Management Sciences at the Vienna University of Technology. DDr. Erich Prem, founder and managing director of eutema GmbH, and on behalf of Binder Grösswang Rechtsanwälte, Dr. Ivo Rungg, partner and head of the Intellectual Property and Information Technology & Digital Law practice group. The event was moderated by Gundula Geiginger from PULS 4.

The evening began with a keynote speech by DDr. Erich Prem, who made an impressive plea for digital humanism. The focus was on how artificial intelligence is changing our society – and how we can actively shape this development. According to Prem, AI is no longer a topic for the future, but part of our everyday life: it is found in smartphones, vehicles, and platforms and influences what information we see, what decisions we make, and what opportunities open up for us.

Prem warned against an increasingly “hyper-individualized world” in which data-based systems eliminate traditional values such as solidarity and care. Using the example of the insurance industry, he showed how algorithmic calculations suggest fairness, but at the same time change the communal principle of solidarity.

Prem paid particular attention to the ethical challenges of recommendation systems. These shape perception and behaviour without being able to take responsibility. As a result, large platforms gain unprecedented control over consumption and information – a state that Prem described as “digital mercantilism.” This gives rise to a new form of control that raises questions about freedom, responsibility, and fairness.

The law also reaches its limits here. We often live in a “fiction of consent” – we accept terms of use without really understanding what they mean. What is considered “ethical AI” is also often defined by those who develop it. This creates a subtle digital pressure to conform, which tests the balance between autonomy and control.

Nevertheless, Prem was optimistic, emphasizing that “progress must be shaped, not denied.” “Perhaps we need to learn again to say no and set clear limits on technology – so that it serves people and not the other way around.”

Prof. Sabine T. Köszegi emphasized that technology is not destiny but is shaped by us. Artificial intelligence is already bringing about profound changes in the world of work: according to studies, one in three working hours could be automated in the future – across all industries and especially for standardizable tasks. At the same time, the demand for highly qualified specialists is increasing.

Köszegi warned that the disappearance of traditional entry-level jobs (“early entry jobs”) will have social consequences. “Digitalization brings not only efficiency, but also social challenges,” said Köszegi. “The income gap threatens to widen – we must counter this with targeted prevention and training.”

At the same time, she emphasized the importance of human skills: “Everything that requires social contact, empathy, and creativity will continue to be important.” However, analytical and problem-solving thinking must be trained in a more targeted manner in order to ensure innovative strength. It is becoming increasingly apparent that humans are increasingly outsourcing cognitive processes to technical aids. This phenomenon is known as cognitive offloading. On the one hand, this relief has advantages, but at the same time it leads to central thinking skills being trained less.

This makes it all the more important to design technologies in an active, transparent, and value-oriented manner. “Progress must not be an end in itself,” Köszegi emphasized. It is crucial to use the opportunities offered by digital transformation for the benefit of people – for a future in which innovation and ethics are in harmony.

When asked about bias in AI systems, Prem emphasized that artificial intelligence only ever learns from past data and cannot develop visions in the way that humans can. “Fairness is not a mathematical question, but a social one,” said Prem. AI raises questions that we as a society must first negotiate. Europe has been watching for too long, the implementation of legal frameworks is still too slow, and geopolitical dynamics also play a central role.

Dr. Ivo Rungg emphasized that AI competence is a key factor in ethical behaviour and social responsibility. The ethical discussion cannot be resolved by legal means alone – not even by the AI Act. It is crucial that companies and society better understand how AI works and how algorithms decide. Governments must therefore invest more in digital literacy and awareness to promote critical thinking skills.

With regard to data protection, Rungg pointed to the challenges posed by the processing of large amounts of data. These challenges affect not only international platforms, but increasingly also companies in other industries, as many AI models can access personal and a variety of other data when in use. This raises complex legal questions – for example, with regard to GDPR, copyright, and trade secrets – which are difficult for many organizations to navigate without the relevant knowledge of the training and architecture of the models. “AI models are often pre-trained and difficult to understand – awareness of the value of data still needs to grow in Austria,” he emphasized.

Rungg also sees need for action at the international level. Large AI models originate primarily from the US and China, which puts additional pressure on European users. At the same time, Europe could take a leading role in creating trustworthy AI through the intelligent, legally and ethically acceptable use of its data and regulation. "With the GDPR, the EU has succeeded in setting international standards for data protection. We also need a global minimum standard for artificial intelligence in the long term," said Rungg.

Conclusion of the evening: The discussion made it clear that artificial intelligence goes far beyond technical issues – it is changing work, society, and law in equal measure. The challenges range from legal issues such as liability, data protection, and intellectual property to ethical responsibility and the design of a human-centered digital transformation. It will be crucial to develop clear guidelines that promote innovation while protecting fundamental values. There was agreement that AI is not only a technological issue, but above all a social and ethical issue for the future – with immediate relevance for practice, politics, law, and research. The participants in the discussion were confident that Europe can take a strong, responsible position in the global AI competition through clear frameworks, high ethical standards, and targeted skills development.

During joint networking with a culinary finale, the diverse aspects of artificial intelligence and digital transformation were discussed at length in a lively atmosphere.