“Roads? Where we’re going we don’t need roads.” (Back to the Future, Part 2)
Christian Stiegler is the Director of GUIDING LIGHT - Organisation for Ethics and Sustainability in Technologies with offices in Vienna, Austria and Berlin, Germany.
In this role, his goal is to create an international platform for individuals and organizations that supports the benefits and improvements emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Extended Reality (XR), Robotics, Blockchain, Smart and Green Technologies could bring to our society, economy, and welfare. As the first international organization for Tech for Good, GUIDING LIGHT collaborates with partners from politics, industry, society, academia, and the arts on ethical and sustainable technology projects that benefit the wider public and tackle social problems. Their shared vision is to empower communities to use emerging technologies for creating long-lasting impact on health and longevity, education, equal opportunities, and environmental sustainability. In his role and due to his humanitarian responsibility, Christian has been the initiator and lead of global charity campaigns such as #bravehood to help children in need in support of UNICEF and WAR CHILD, and in partnership with world-renowned artists such as Coldplay, The Rolling Stones, R.E.M., Nick Cave, The Cure, Alanis Morissette, Kylie Minogue, Paul Simon, Courtney Love, Garbage, Dido, Dolores O’Riordan of The Cranberries, Amanda Palmer, Portishead, Glen Hansard, Markéta Irglová, The Swell Season, Natalie Merchant, Wilco, Wir sind Helden, and many more.
Over the last few years Christian has developed an internationally recognized profile and has been invited as keynote speaker and panel guest on Technology Ethics, Innovation, XR, AI, and Metaverse to such major industry events such as SXSW, Cannes XR, Berlinale, International Film Festival Rotterdam, C21 Content Summit London, and MIPTV Cannes. His interdisciplinary approach in working with artists, and his experiences in film, television, and music led to projects with leading international broadcasters and labels such as BBC, ZDF, Time Warner, Beggars Group, and Secretly Group, as well as acclaimed artists such as Björk, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lisa Hannigan.
In his extensive academic career, Christian has been Professor of Media at Universities in the UK and Germany, and has an impressive teaching and research record in Austria, Germany, and the UK. Currently, he is the world’s first Professor of Technology Ethics with a focus on XR, AI, and the Metaverse, as well as Academic Director of all Design study programmes at IU International University. Before leading GUIDING LIGHT, Christian has been Associate Professor of Immersive Media at UWE Bristol, UK and provided his leadership skills to the University’s Immersion network. Before that, he has been the lead researcher and founder of Brunel University London's 'Immersive Hub' and 'Presence/Immersion' research networks, which led to a major research project in cooperation with Franco-German television network ARTE and the Berliner Festspiele. Before taking on his professorships in the UK, Christian has been Professor of International Media Management in Karlsruhe, Germany. In this position, he has worked closely with the ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe, one of the world's leading cultural institutions to explore the creative possibilities of digital art and media technologies. He has published several books and articles with acclaimed publishers such as MIT Press (The 360° Gaze: Immersions in Media, Society, and Culture, 2021).
His research leadership skills have resulted in several major research projects in the interrelation between social sciences, arts, and technology and have provided several key interventions in the study of digital cultures (The Netflix Effect, 2016; New Media Culture, 2015) and an editorship of a journal collection on immersive storytelling (International Journal of E-Politics 8(3), 2017).
In addition to his academic career, Christian has previously served as CEO of two successful XR companies, Indigo Reality and The Virtual Reality Factory, in Austria and the UK. He has extensive experience as a consultant for clients such as the European Commission, UNICEF, and GIZ, providing services in areas including digital policy. Additionally, Christian has a background as a multimedia journalist and producer, contributing arts and entertainment features to BBC, ORF Radio (Ö1, FM4), ORF TV (Kulturmontag, Zeit im Bild), ZDF, 3Sat, and Die Presse.
He holds a PhD (distinction) from the University of Cambridge (UK) and the University of Vienna (Austria).
Find a full list of publications, talks, media features, and teaching experiences here.
