AI and the Humanities – Digital Humanism Conference 2026
Join us at the IWM for talks and debate on how AI is shaping the future of the Humanities.
October 29th – 30th 2026
- 09:00 – 17:30 CET
- IWM Library
- Spittelauer Lände 3, 1090 Wien
Registration
- Please register here for this event.
About the Event
Thursday, 29 October 2026
9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
(09:00 – 17:30) CET
Friday, 30 October 2026
9:00 AM – 3:30 PM
(09:00 – 15:30) CET
This event is organized by the The Institute for Human Sciences (IWM).
For more information and the full program, please visit the event website below.
AI and the Humanities
The rise of AI is challenging the sciences in an unprecedented and fundamental way. This particularly affects the Humanities, whose demise some have already proclaimed. Even from a less alarmist perspective, it is undeniable that fundamental methodological and educational principles are being called into question. Although there is considerable attention and media coverage on this topic, profound answers from the academic community itself are still rather the exception.
This conference, part of the IWM’s Digital Humanism program in cooperation with TU Wien, formulates approaches for defining the relationship between AI and the Humanities. The lamenting question “What will remain of the humanities in the age of AI?” is insufficient; rather, the question must also be posed in reverse: “What might be the irreplaceable contribution of the Humanities to shaping AI and its societal implementation?”
Program
Thursday, 29 October 2026
| 09:00–10:30 | Welcome Address by Michael Wiesmüller (Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure) Opening Remarks by Ludger Hagedorn (IWM Permanent Fellow) & Hannes Werthner (TU Wien/Senior Fellow IWM) Lecture by Britta Schneider (University of Vienna): "Not Raw, Never Neutral: Language in AI Systems and the Need for Semiotic Literacy" |
| 11:00–12:30 | Research Presentations Doris Vickers (VHS Wien): "Digital Heavens: AI methods for Philology and in Early Modern Astronomy" Ivan Napoli (Catholic University of Milan): "Being a Researcher in the Age of AI: Research Practices and the Changing Nature of Academic Work" Agata Ciabattoni (TU Wien) / Elisa Freschi (University of Vienna): "Reasoning with Norms: From Sanskrit Philosophy to AI" Moderated by Magdalena Krysztoforska (DH Fellow) |
| 14:00–15:30 | Lectures & Discussion Thomas Wallnig (University of Vienna): "Digital History, Computational Humanities – AI and Data Criticism" Jan Odstrcilik (ÖAW): "Reading What AI Has Read: How Automatic Text Recognition Changes Our Interaction With Historical Sources" Moderated by Faridah Muli (DH Fellow) |
| 16:00–17:30 | Panel Discussion Hana Kopecka, Viola Schiaffonati, Francesco Striano, and Hannes Werthner on "AI and the Humanities" Moderated by George Metakides |
Friday, 30 October 2026
| 09:00–10:30 | Research Presentations Bernhard Krüpl-Sypien / Johannes Oster (TU Wien): "Who Is the Instrument? Working on Generative AI with the Vienna City Library" Lisa Meinecke (LMU Munich): "It is no longer just your computer:" Narrative, the Humanities, and the Creation of Meaning in AI Julia Neidhardt / Erich Prem (TU Wien): Ethics for Recommenders Moderated by Carlo Ghezzi |
| 11:00–12:30 | Panel Discussion Anita Eichinger, Carlo Ghezzi, Ludger Hagedorn, and Stefan Woltran on "The Future of Knowledge Institutions" Moderated by George Metakides |
| 14:00–15:30 | Alumni Meeting Informal Talk with Current and Former DH Fellows about Ideas for Networking and Continued Cooperation With former Senior Fellows Viola Schiaffonati and George Metakides and program curators Hannes Werthner and Ludger Hagedorn |