How do digital media contribute to reproducing discrimination and reinforcing social inequalities? This question is explored in a chapter by CAIS researcher Josephine B. Schmitt, Ahrabhi Kathirgamalingam (GESIS – Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences), and Sarah Y. Akyürek in the edited volume “Language – Power – Diversity: On the (Re)Production of Difference and Belonging through Language,” (“Sprache – Macht – Diversität. Zur (Re-)Produktion von Differenz und Zugehörigkeit durch Sprache“, German Original), published by Waxmann.
In their chapter, the authors examine hate speech in digital spaces and its role in the devaluation, exclusion, and marginalization of specific social groups. The analysis goes beyond verbal expressions to include visual language and digital communication formats through which discriminatory interpretations and attributions are spread and solidified.
The chapter also focuses on artificial intelligence (AI), identifying three key roles of AI in this context: first, AI can reinforce discrimination when biased training data reproduce existing societal prejudices. Second, AI can be used as a tool to generate hate and discriminatory content. Third, it offers potential for combating hate speech, for example through the detection and moderation of harmful content.
Schmitt, J. B., Kathirgamalingam, A. & Akyürek, S. Y. (2026). Hassrede im digitalen Zeitalter: Wie Soziale Medien und Künstliche Intelligenz Macht und Diskriminierung reproduzieren. In Maahs, I.-M., triulzi, M. & Winter, C.. (Hrsg.). Sprache – Macht – Diversität. Zur (Re-)Produktion von Differenz und Zugehörigkeit durch Sprache (51-65). Waxmann.
To the edited volume: https://www.waxmann.com/buecher/Sprache-%E2%80%93-Macht-%E2%80%93-Diversitaet