Prof. Dr. Thomas Gremsl
Thomas Gremsl has been University Professor of Ethics and Social Studies since April 2022. He previously worked as a postdoc and university assistant. Until the retirement of Prof. Dr. Leopold Neuhold, he was his assistant. He is also the founding chairman of the Ethics Committee of Graz University of Technology and a postdoctoral researcher at the Lucerne Graduate School in Ethics at the Institute for Social Ethics ISE at the University of Lucerne. Some of his work has received awards from the Faculty of Catholic Theology at the University of Graz and from the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research (Award of Excellence). Professor Gremsl is also involved in a wide range of voluntary work.
His research focuses primarily on the foundations of (Christian) social ethics, ethics of digitalization and technology ethics (especially artificial intelligence; socio-technical systems), media ethics and sports ethics (especially soccer). From January to March 2020, he was a visiting researcher at the Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. He is currently working intensively on social media, associated challenges such as disinformation and their impact on democracy and society. Thomas Gremsl's research is highly interdisciplinary and international. Currently he is working on various projects and project developments with scientists from Portugal, Germany, Switzerland, Lithuania, Iceland, Croatia and Austria.
In recent years, he has headed several third-party funded research projects; among other things, he led a project on "Emotional AI" funded by the Smart Regulation profile area together with the Practice Chair for Law and IT/Data Protection Law at the University of Graz, is currently responsible for the ethics agendas in an interdisciplinary project on "Neurorights" commissioned by the European Parliament and heads the "CheckAutoML" project funded by the Province of Styria.
Professor Gremsl is currently involved in academic self-administration as a member of various committees and in various leadership roles:
- Head of the Institute for Ethics and Social Studies
- Chairman of the Ethics Committee at Graz University of Technology (external member; nominated by Rector Prof. Dr. Horst Bischof)
- Member of the faculty committee of the Faculty of Catholic Theology at the University of Graz
- Member of the Curriculum Commission for the degree programs offered at and (co-)administered by the Faculty of Catholic Theology of the University of Graz
- Member of the Advisory Board of the IDea_Lab (nominated by the Vice-Rector for Human Resources and Digitalization)
Professor Gremsl is a member of the following academic associations
- Working Group of Social Ethicists in the German-speaking world
- Association for Social Ethics in Central Europe
- Innsbruck Circle of Moral Theologians and Social Ethicists in Austria
- Network Theology & AI
- Network for Technology Assessment
- Austrian Society for Ethics and Law in Emergency and Disaster Medicine
- Interdisciplinary Network Technization of Ageing (INTA)
In addition to his academic activities, Professor Gremsl is also heavily involved in voluntary work. He currently performs the following functions on a voluntary basis:
- Head of the local branch of the Red Cross in Vorau
- Member of the district committee of the Hartberg Red Cross
- Emergency paramedic (NKV) in the rescue and emergency ambulance service
- Referee observer
- Deputy chairman and secretary of the refereeing commission of the Styrian Football Association
- Member of the board of the Styrian Football Association
- Deputy chairman of the Dr. Karl-Kummer Institute
Selected publications
Gremsl: Ethics 4.0? The "human factor" in the digital transformation
In view of the increasing digitalization of our lives with regard to algorithms and socio-technical (AI) systems, (social) ethics is particularly called upon to open up perspectives on how to shape this change in a humane way. In this context, the question of the role and position of the "human factor" within these structures is becoming increasingly important. Even in the most popular sport in the world, soccer, which is otherwise so rich in tradition, technical systems (goal-line technology - GLT, video assistant referee - VAR) are increasingly being introduced and are leading to new challenges, especially in the context of refereeing decision-making processes. For this reason, this paper will focus on the relationship between humans and AI and the need for ethical and legal regulation of these systems, as well as sport ethical highlights and values and ethical principles that should open up such perspectives. Algorithms and socio-technical (AI) systems must ultimately be designed in such a way that people remain at the center.
Gremsl, Ruckenbauer, Wessely: The good (digital) life
On the way to a value system for the digital age
Big data, e-learning (also, but not only, boosted by the pandemic since 2020), the growing digital footprint in social networks, the real scenario of seamless (self-)surveillance, increasing automation in the world of work and the ongoing boom in digital end devices (including their environmental costs) are just a few examples of the rapid changes on the road to digitality. On the other hand, there is a growing unmet demand for workers, particularly in the care, service and manufacturing sectors.
In this anthology, the editors and Christian Blasge, Armin Grunwald, Theresia Heimerl, Herbert Hracovec, Katrin Otrel-Cass, Martina Schmiedhuber, Peter Strasser, Franz Winter and others address the question of how society should deal with these new challenges and the resulting uncertainties. How much digitalization and mechanization are compatible with a good life for all people and their environment? The authors state that the individual and societal need for normative orientation is growing, but that the discourse on a sustainable value system for the digital age has only just begun. Ethics and religion(s) are challenged to make a constructive contribution to this by focusing on the well-being of all people, critically questioning the paths and goals of global change and opening up and promoting perspectives for a humane shaping of the digital transformation.
Gremsl, Hödl: Emotional AI: Legal and ethical challenges
The European Commission has presented a draft for an Artificial Intelligence Act (AIA). This article deals with legal and ethical questions of the datafication of human emotions. In particular, it raises the question of how emotions are to be legally classified. In particular, the concept of "emotion recognition systems" in the sense of the draft Artificial Intelligence Act (AIA) published by the European Commission is addressed. As it turns out, the fundamental right to freedom of thought as well as the question of the common good and human dignity become relevant in this context, especially when such systems are combined with others, such as scoring models.
Current research projects
EU: The protection of mental privacy in the area of neuroscience - legal and ethical challenges
Project: The protection of mental privacy in the area of neuroscience - legal and ethical challenges (Neurorights)
Project management: Thomas Gremsl together with Guilherme Maia de Oliveira Wood, Juliane Jarke, Elisabeth Staudegger
Call for proposals: -
Funding body: European Parliament/European Commission
Duration: 1.11.2023 - 30.04.2024
CheckAutoML: AutoML between future potential and new challenges
Project: AutoML between future potential and new challenges: A field of tension between ethics, technology and economy (CheckAutoML)
Project management: Thomas Gremsl (in cooperation with Stefan Thalmann and the BANDAS Center at the University of Graz)
Call for proposals: "Technology Assessment: Artificial Intelligence", 16th call for proposals of the Styrian Future Fund
Funding body: Zukunftsfonds Steiermark; Office of the Styrian Provincial Government
Duration: 01.03.2024 - 28.02.2025
MemorAI Styria: For ageing gracefully with technology
Project: For dignified ageing with technology: Interdisciplinary approaches for the interaction of neurotechnologies, artificial intelligence (AI) and people with dementia in Styria (MemorAI Styria)
Project management: Thomas Gremsl together with Guilherme Maia de Oliveira Wood, Juliane Jarke, Elisabeth Staudegger
Call for proposals: "Technology Assessment: Artificial Intelligence", 16th call for proposals of the Styrian Future Fund
Funding body: Zukunftsfonds Steiermark; Office of the Styrian Provincial Government
Duration: 01.03.2024 - 28.02.2025
Sm-AI-R: Smart Regulation of and by Low or No Code Development Platforms for AI in organizations
Project: Smart Regulation of and by Low or No Code Development Platforms for AI in organizations (Sm-AI-R)
Project management: Reinhold Esterbauer, Thomas Gremsl, Juliane Jarke, Bettina Kubicek, Stefan Storr, Stefan Thalmann
Call for proposals: xx
Funding body: University of Graz (Smart Regulation profile area/Rectorate)
Duration: 01.02.2024 - 30.06.2027