SUBJECT AND OBJECTIVE

Artificial intelligence is considered a key technology of the 21st century. It already permeates many areas of our lives today – from scientific research to industry and economics to the everyday working world: computer-based systems analyse disordered amounts of data, recognize connections and patterns, and derive information and decisions that are relevant to us. Thinking artificial beings have accompanied humans since ancient times and reached their peak in 20th-century science fiction. The theme of “man and machine” has also been closely interwoven with film history from the very beginning, for example in Fritz Lang‘s 1927 film “Metropolis,” which is a classic of expressionist film art and features the female character of the “human machine.”

The digital revolution is accompanied by social changes. The opportunities include the democratization of knowledge and the solution of complex problems, as well as the possibilities for innovative products and increased efficiency. At the same time, however, the development of “machine intelligence” poses major moral and ethical questions for humanity and has triggered a critical debate, particularly about its commercial use and the consequences for security, democracy, and resources.

The call is for 20-second silent films that address the theme of “Humans and Intelligent Machines” and provide an artistic interpretation.

The following questions can be referred to for orientation:

• Artificial intelligence complements and replaces human thinking. How will our lives and our working world change in this rapidly advancing age of digitalization and artificial intelligence?
• What impact does digital transformation have on our visual perception and what role does it play in visual culture?
• How does the use of AI influence our cognitive abilities and critical thinking? Can AI lead us into a new form of immaturity?
• What consequences for the knowledge society and the fourth pillar of democracy, the media, can be expected from the concentration of data power and communicative power?
• How will technological change change our society and social interaction?

Each of the selected spots will be shown on about 4 800 INFOSCREEN displays of the Austrian network (Vienna, Linz, Wels, Steyr, Graz, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, Eisenstadt and Bregenz) for a period of eight weeks from July 6 to August 30, 2026. In addition, the winning entries will be published as part of communication activities by KÖR Wien and INFOSCREEN.

Overall five winners will be selected.