VIENNA PLUS
Economics, Political Science & Global Studies
The Use of AI in Society and Its Implications – A Comparison Between the US and EU
with Roger von Laufenberg, Senior Researcher and Manager at Vicesse
Spots: 1
Organization: The Vienna Centre for Societal Security (VICESSE) is a private non-profit research organization, financed through project funds of the European Commission as well as national funds. VICESSE focuses on the analysis of a wide array of security issues in a broader societal context.
Project: Participants will create case studies based around the central topic of AI (Artificial Intelligence). To do this, participants will research the use of AI in a specific context or setting (e.g. in law enforcement, advertisement/marketing, health & care, political campaigning…). Additionally, participants will look into the implications that AI has on the chosen topic, which will allow them to analyze how the EU and the US both address potential negative implications of AI usage on a broader scale. A comparison between the US and the EU, both in terms of AI usage, as well as the means of addressing negative implications, is central in this project. The student(s) will present their findings and write a report about their results.
Requirements: Applicants should be aware that self-initiative is very important for this internship as the intern will very likely work on an independent research project. The mentor takes the lead and supports the intern to do research on the topic proactively. It can be an advantage if students already have some experience in conducting social-scientific research and a talent for debating, also in the written, e.g. by writing a short essay.
Preferred background: Juniors and Seniors in Sociology, Engineering, Computer Science and/or other relevant disciplines, preferably with an understanding of the basics of Science and Technology Studies (STS) and with an interest in the sociological implications of AI systems.
Preparing Social Media Campaigns: Supporting the International Expansion of an Austrian Social Education Business
with Lydia Körber, Sindbad
Spots: 1-2
Organization: Sindbad Social Business is a mentoring program, which supports socially and economically disadvantaged youth in their future educational planning. Sindbad was founded in 2016 and now includes 1500 mentoring teams at eight locations across Austria. The mentoring program seeks to expand and implement the Sindbad business model in an international context. For now, Sindbad is based on the German speaking context which is why students a basic level in German is recommended, even though the workforce at Sindbad is proficient in English.
Project: This internship includes tasks regarding the coordination of the mentoring program as well as the preparation of social media campaigns. The students will gain an insight into the social and entrepreneurial part of a social business.
Required background: Students in German, Business, Marketing, Translation/Interpreting, Social Work, Education, Global Studies or other relevant disciplines. The interview will be done in both English and German to assess the student's language skills.
