Humanism and AI

In the discourse surrounding AI, the word “human” seems to have made an unexpected comeback, considering the discursive preeminence of such topics as the Anthropocene, post- and transhumanism, ecocriticism, and animal studies. But can we can speak of the “human” in the age of generative AI without recourse to one of the oldest philosophical and cultural systems dealing precisely with the anthropos: Humanism. From the Digital Humanism initiative in Vienna to the New Humanism at the time of Neurosciences and AI initiative in Nairobi, so-called humanist perspectives have become so dominant that even CEOs urge us “to put humanism at the center of generative AI to reap its rewards” (Harvard Business Review, Julien 2023). What examples are there of Humanist AI in contemporary culture and what kind of Humanism is promoted by industry, the business world, and media today? We invite you to discuss these and further questions over the course of the conference.