• senseBox: The University of Münster has developed the senseBox, a do-it-yourself kit for stationary and mobile sensor stations – a citizen science toolkit. Citizens with a senseBox: home can use the technology for their own local research to collect environmental data or contribute it to the openSenseMap sensor network, a platform of open sensor data running on AWS. There are currently over 1 billion measurements available to download and analyze. The senseBox: edu offers schools and young scientists an experiment box with didactic didactic concepts, instructions and project ideas, to help users set up and code their own environmental their own environmental measuring station. Find more information here.
•  Sensorbike: For many, the bicycle is the most important urban means of transportation of the future. It is sustainable, space-saving and healthy. However, cobblestones, narrow cycle paths, jostling cars and stuffy exhaust fumes can really spoil the fun of riding. To investigate how safe Berlin’s streets are for cyclists, the start-up start-up re:edu and Futurium have developed the citizen science project SensorBikes. Berliners are building mobile sensors for their bikes, collect important important environmental and traffic data while cycling and make it available to the public. Find more information here. 
• Development of an open universal environmental sensor station: With our project, we want to strengthen civil society activities. The participation of citizens in the observation, recording and evaluation of the parameters  of our living environment promotes environmental awareness and responsibility, imparts knowledge about the environment and technology and paves the way for informed political political commitment. In many cases, such initiatives have already pre-empted official measures and accelerated political action or even initiated it in the first place. Find more information here.
• Simulation Game “Plan A”: Welcome to Plan A – your path to a rousing and activating educational experience!
  Here you can expect much more than just an ordinary business game. We invite you to take part in an exciting adventure in which you can shape the future of a fictitious medium-sized company together. Take the lead and experience first-hand how your decisions determine the course of the company. Our unique simulation game Plan A is not just a concept, but an experience in which you can shape the future of education together with us. Find mor information here. 

This year the Weizenbaum Institute presents its great variety of research, services, and offers with a small exhibition in the WeizenRaum.
Researchers and research managers are present in the WeizenRaum during the breaks to give an insight into their work and answer questions. Visitors can listen to the Weizenbaum-Podcasts, get an interactive overview on a digital screen, inform themselves about publications, fellowships, and our library or just reach out to the Weizenbaum Crew.

The WeizenRaum is open during the two days of the conference. During the breaks within the program various projects and services will be introduced.

17 June 2024: Open from 12:00 – 18.00

14.30 – 15.00

• “Weizenbaum Library; Map on digitalization research” Dietmar Kammerer, Research Data Officer
• “Weizenbaum Panel Explorer” Christian Strippel (Research Group Leader of the Weizenbaum Panel and Methods Lab)

16.40-17.15

• “Research project on Querdenken Telegram Dataset 2020-2022″Kilian Bühling, Research Associate
• “Weizenbaum Fundamental (Interactive insight into the topic of digi-tal sovereignty)”Esther Görnemann (Research Synthesis Referee)

18 June 2024: Open from 08.30 – 13.30

10.50 – 11.15 

• “Research Project: Infinite Exclusivity: Generative AI’s Endless Chal-lenges to the “Exclusive Right” in International Copyright Frame-works”
  Zachary Cooper (Research Fellow)
• “Weizenbaum Journal of the Digital Society (WJDS)” Moritz Buchner (Officer Publications)

• Welcome by the board of directors (Christoph Neuberger)
• Video greetings by the Federal Minister of Education and Research Bettina Stark-Watzinger
• Greetings by State Secretary for Science and Research at Senate for Science, Health, Care and Equality Henry Marx
• Introduction to the conference by the program chairs (Thomas Kox, André Ullrich and Herbert Zech)

Francesca Bria’s presentation articulates a distinct European strategy for developing a digital economy grounded in digital sovereignty, ethical standards, and human rights, clearly differentiating it from the models adopted by the U.S. and China. Her talk emphasizes the European Union’s forward-thinking technological regulations, championing the use of open-source technologies, enhancing interoperability, promoting shared governance, enabling data sharing and portability, and maintaining rigorous privacy norms. Bria will highlight successful initiatives she leads, looking at cities as laboratories for democratic innovation, such as Barcelona’s implementation of participatory democracy and Hamburg’s commitment to data commons sharing in public interest. A central element of her vision is the proposal for a €10 billion European EU Digital Sovereignty Fund, to develop next-generation pan-European public digital infrastructures, open sovereign AI and data commons to provide robust alternatives to dominant monopolistic digital platforms. Bria claims that Europe’s focus must extend beyond merely regulating Big Tech, to prioritize funding and scaling public goods to ensure that our digital infrastructures protect rights and serve public needs effectively. In this new era of interconnected and compounding crises, Europe must grapple with achieving strategic autonomy and technological sovereignty, and Bria’s presentation advocates for a democratization of the digital society in Europe, with a strong focus on open technology development for societal benefit and public interest governance of artificial intelligence and data.

All posters will be shown in Studio 1 and Studio 2.

• “Citizen Participation in the United Arab Emirates’ National AI Strategy: a discourse analysis” – Mennatullah Hendawy (Ain Shams University Cairo and Centre for Advanced Internet Studies Bochum)
• “Digital technology for people” – Marc Steen (TNO)
• “Empowering smart regions: addressing challenges and leveraging enabling factors in municipal digital transformation” – Bonny Brandenburger (Weizenbaum Institute), Andrea Hamm (Weizenbaum  Institute), Caroline Krohn (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Nachhaltige Digitalisierung), Felix Sühlmann-Faul (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Nachhaltige Digitalisierung), Manuel Atug (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Nachhaltige Digitalisierung), Nicole Döpp (Amt Süderbrarup) and André Ullrich (Weizenbaum Institute)
• “The User Experience of Data Donation: An Experiment in Making Data Governance Tangible with Design” – Ame Elliott (Superbloom)
• “From Theory to Practice: Transdisciplinary Learning Environments and the Role of Practice-based Design Research” – Ines Weigand (Weizenbaum Institute / University of the Arts
• “Can civic data be counterdata and open data? Exploring the limits of data, contestation and governance” – Yuya Shibuya (University of Tokyo), Seyi Olojo (University of California, Berkeley), Andrea Hamm (Weizenbaum Institute), Radhika Krishnan (International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad) and Teresa Cerratto Pargman (Stockholm University)”Empowering smart regions: addressing challenges and leveraging enabling factors in municipal digital transformation”

Authors: Lubna Rashid (TU Berlin), Jordana Composto (Princeton University) and Elke Weber (Princeton University)

Abstract: Addressing the interconnected challenges of digital futures and environmental pressures necessitates a deep understanding of human decision-making and the factors that influence sustainable behavioral change and adaptation. This study examines the drivers of pro-environmental attitudes (PEAs) and behaviors (PEBs) among German workers in sectors with substantial environmental impacts, such as digital technology, mobility, and manufacturing, recognizing their critical role as shapers of workplace values, visions, and actions. Analyzing survey responses from 297 workers using linear regression modeling, we find varying and nuanced impacts of personal convictions, experiences, wellbeing, entrepreneurialism, and perceptions of social norms and organizational support on PEAs and various PEBs. Our results highlight the importance of purpose, leadership, emotional resilience, and inclusion in fostering a shift towards environmentally conscious practices. This research aims to guide workers, managers, and policymakers in designing workplaces that promote, rather than hinder, ecological sustainability amidst evolving work structures.

Authors: Florian Butollo, Jennifer Haase, Ann Katzinski  and Anne K. Krüger (Weizenbaum Institute)

Authors: Paula Scharf (Re:edu), Benjamin Karic (University of Münster), Luca Hesse (University of Münster) and Thomas Bartoschek (Re:edu)

Abstract: Cycling plays a key role in a push towards more environmentally friendly forms of mobility and ensuring the safety of cyclists is crucial for motivating more people to choose the bike as their form of transportation. The still car-centred infrastructure calls for innovative methods to enforce a bike-safe environment. Despite the legal requirement of a minimum overtaking distance of 1.5 metres between cars and bicycles, in practice compliance is often inadequate. In this work, we propose and prototype a mobile, low-cost and low-energy system that lets cyclists monitor the occurrence of dangerously close takeovers. This system employs a Time-of-Flight sensor which measures distances in an 8×8 pixel matrix and detects dangerous takeovers using tiny machine learning models. Included in citizen science campaigns the collected data can be used for urban mobility planning and safety strategies.

Author: Tina Comes (TU Delft)

Abstract: Migration and human mobility are among the most prominent uncertainties for policy-making. The increasing number of refugees globally necessitates effective planning and management of their settlements, particularly in addressing infrastructure needs, such as access to healthcare. While initial efforts to accommodate a surge of refugees prioritise meeting primary needs, enhancing structural facilities becomes imperative over time. However, the path-dependent nature of expansion of refugee settlements and dense populations pose challenges for infrastructure improvement. Existing facility location models overlook the complex and adaptive nature and the interplay of infrastructure and human behaviour as a key uncertainty. This paper presents a case study on the interplay between settling preferences of refugees and the location of healthcare facilities as a vital infrastructure. We develop a data-based approach that combines an agent-based model analysing decision behaviour with facility location optimisation models. Through a case study of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, home to over 1 million Rohingya refugees, we demonstrate the implications of different optimisation approaches for expanding refugee camps and thereby explore how and in how far digital technology can support policy making on one of the most contested and uncertain topics in the current policy landscape. Our findings underscore the importance of integrating human behaviour in infrastructure decisions.

Authors: Christian Herzog (University of Lübeck), Daniela Zetti (University of Lübeck) and Robin Preiß (University of Lübeck)

Abstract: In this article, we discuss discourses of digital sovereignty, i.e., discourses that can be seen as basic for democratic negotiation and participation in public and private organizations. We argue that the concept of digital sovereignty can be understood as an ill-structured problem (ISP). The ISP describes a problem that cannot be structured formally but can be only worked through in processes, thereby developing gradually into a well-structured problem. Digital sovereignty is often conceived either as an individual problem or as a collective, (inter-)national problem. Can digital sovereignty be transformed into a well-structured problem at all? Do we observe ongoing re-iterations of a detached discourse? What do we learn from a critical analysis of the digital sovereignty discourse about a) the ways notions of the individual and the collective are shaped and b) about ISP as a timely analytical term that helps to enhance our understanding of problems that are shaped by the conditions of digital societies?

Authors: Christoph Bieber, Mennatullah Hendawy, Jana Baum,  Anouk Cenan, Niklas Frechen, Anne Goldmann, Pauline Heger (Center for Advanced Internet Studies (CAIS))

Abstract: The promising vision of Smart Cities has been the driver for many projects, plans, and funding schemes across the globe within the last decade. While making cities “smarter” has always involved some form of digital innovation in urban spaces, the term has remained open to interpretation. Having spent several years researching Smart City plans and their actual (non-)implementation, we propose that the concept of Smart Cities does not seem useful in practice, as comprehensive urban administration systems are not being established. We present observations to illustrate that we may be entering a “Post-Smart City era” as the crucial aspects of both “smart” and “city” have become quite relative. Finally, we give some perspectives as to what this new era might entail.

Panelists:  Sandra Wachter (Oxford Internet Institute), Jeremias Adams-Prassl (University of Oxford), danah boyd (Microsoft Research & Georgetown), Brent Mittelstadt (Oxford Internet Institute)

Moderation: Philipp Hacker (European New School of Digital Studies)

Abstract: This panel explores varieties of sustainability in artificial intelligence. It examines critical areas such as climate impact, workplace exploitation, and click work, exploring the ethical, environmental, and social implications of AI technologies. The discussion aims to identify potential trade-offs and supporting elements between these dimensions, offering a comprehensive understanding of how various types of sustainable practices can be integrated into AI development and deployment. Through this discussion, the panel seeks to contribute to the ongoing discourse on creating AI systems that are not only technologically advanced but also socially responsible and environmentally sustainable.

Visit our exhibition in Studio 1 and 2.