Digitalization 
How much privacy do we want? 
Approaches through Mathematics and Computer Science

Rombuch 2020 as a PDF

Computing machines are like the wizards in fairy tales. They give you what you wish for, but do not tell you what that wish should be. 

- Norbert Wiener (1894–1964) 

The buzzword “digitalization” addresses a complex phenomenon with many dimensions—at least a scientific, a technological, a political, and, in a broader sense, a cultural one. The term “digital” originally comes from the field of communications engineering and simply means that a “digital” signal (as opposed to an “analog” one) comprises a discrete—that is, delimited and graded—set of values. The ability to process this “digital data” using electronic computers subsequently gave its name to an entire technological and cultural revolution. Ultimately, digitization is understood to mean the societal transformation driven by the use of electronic computing and communication technologies. 
The 2020 Rome Seminar will address the topic of “digitalization” on two levels. First, it will clarify key concepts and phenomena in the context of digitalization. This includes basic concepts such as data, numbers, digital vs. analog, algorithms, etc., as well as more technically complex topics such as “big data,” “artificial intelligence,” and “autonomous machines.” The goal here, then, is to make the technical side of digitalization transparent through adequate (!) simplification to the extent that its conceptual prerequisites and technical possibilities can be assessed without having to rely on biased (partly dystopian and dramatizing, partly euphoric and promotional) interpretations. 
On the other hand, the focus is on an in-depth examination of selected societal areas that are being fundamentally transformed by the process of digitalization, raising questions such as who the key players are and what the (anonymous?) dynamics of this transformation are. Potential topics here include:

1. The field of the sciences itself: To what extent, for example, is the goal in the natural sciences—to understand natural systems through analysis of or description via causal relationships—being replaced by the (automated) collection of vast amounts of data and the subsequent search for correlations? In what ways, however, are traditional humanities disciplines (such as literary studies, art history, or archaeology) fundamentally changing their methodologies—and thus their self-conception—through the use of computers? And last but not least: To what extent does the collection and analysis of data (according to what criteria?) shape the social sciences?
2. In the political (legal) sphere, issues such as data protection or the transformation of copyright law can be discussed.
3. Perhaps even more contentious is the question of the dramatically expanded capabilities for surveillance and control, as private companies—Amazon and Google being only the best-known examples—have long been practicing. This area likely also includes recent developments toward the digitization of social control, for example in China and other authoritarian states.
4. The transformation of the world of work is now the subject of much discussion: what consequences will this have, for example, for the global as well as the local economy, individual companies, and employees?
5. It is not unusual in the history of ideas for the most advanced technology of the time to shape the human self-image (see the hydraulics of the Baroque organ or the mechanical automata of watchmakers). So what influence does the digital revolution have on our conception of humanity? And furthermore: What do the concrete—or even merely ideological—perspectives of “transhumanism” entail?
6. What does it mean for the education system when, under the slogan “Schools Online,” school policy increasingly focuses on electronic media?
7. Finally, the expansion of military battlefields into “virtual worlds” and the development of “autonomous combat systems” can also be discussed.

The 2019 Rome Seminar aims to address these and other topics, offering a unique opportunity to look beyond the boundaries of one’s own field of study. In addition, the seminar focuses on practicing presentation skills, rhetoric, and discussion. 
Over the course of the winter semester, we will first explore and delve into the topic through shared reading, short introductory presentations, and discussions. By the end of December, each participant should have identified their own project and tested it in dialogue with local students. This project will ultimately be presented and discussed during the field trip to Rome (February 24–29, 2020). Through a diverse accompanying program, we will also draw inspiration from places in the “Eternal City” that are not normally accessible. 
A prerequisite for the seminar is a willingness to engage actively with the subject matter; it is suitable for students starting in their first semester.