Experts Christina Schweiger, Cornelia Dlabaja and Marian Adolf analyze the impact of digital technologies in recent media reports. In an interview on Ö1’s “Mittagsjournal”, the Head of the Human Resources & Organization Study Programs, explains how AI is changing the job application process. The Endowed Chair for Sustainable Urban Tourism highlights the impact of short-term tourist rentals as featured in ZIB Magazin and ORF Radio Regional News. In a commentary for “Der Standard”, the communication researcher at the Department of Communication outlines how digital platforms can be designed more responsibly.
From platform regulation to AI in recruiting to short-term tourist rentals: Marian Adolf from the Department of Communication, Christina Schweiger from the Human Resources & Organization Study Programs, and Cornelia Dlabaja, Endowed Chair for Sustainable Urban Tourism, contributed their expertise to recent media coverage.
Change Digital Platforms Instead of Blocking the Internet
Marian Adolf, a communication researcher at the Department of Communication, addressed the regulation of digital platforms in an op-ed in “Der Standard” (in German). He advocates for a uniform EU-wide age limit of 16 for particularly risky platform features. However, he is critical of countries acting unilaterally and of a blanket requirement for digital identification. Instead of generally restricting access to the internet, he believes that the platforms themselves should be held more accountable and designed accordingly.
A Flood of AI in Job Applications
Christina Schweiger, Head of Human Resources & Organization Study Programs, was interviewed for the “Ö1 Mittagsjournal” segment “A Flood of AI in Job Applications” (in German). She pointed out that artificial intelligence now plays a role on both sides of the recruiting process: applicants use AI to prepare their application materials, while companies can use it for screening and selection. According to Schweiger, the implications of this development for application processes are currently the subject of intense discussion within the HR community.
Housing Shortage Caused by Short-Term Rentals
Cornelia Dlabaja, Endowed Chair for Sustainable Urban Tourism, spoke on ZIB Magazin on August 14 (from 1:40 min – in German) and on ORF Radio Regional News on August 16 (from 2:50 min – in German) about the consequences of short-term tourist rentals. Rentals through platforms such as Airbnb can lead to a shortage of housing, increased rents and changes in neighborhoods. Practical approaches discussed included Vienna’s limit on short-term rentals to 90 days per year, as well as projects that combine regular housing with vacation rentals. Such models are intended to protect housing stock while fostering neighborhoods that are pleasant places to live.
All recent media appearances demonstrate how digital technologies are influencing established processes and familiar ways of living – and how important it is to engage in a nuanced examination of their opportunities, risks and framework conditions.
>> Research at the Department of Communication
>> Research at the Human Resources & Organization Study Programs