In a talk on the ZDF program “Volle Kanne,” CAIS Director Prof. Christiane Eilders assessed the ongoing digitalization in Germany and highlighted how profoundly it is changing information processing and communication. Digitalization has been a much-discussed topic for years, with the aim of making everyday life easier and enabling new forms of participation. Examples such as the introduction of email showed how digital innovations have simplified and accelerated communication. At the same time, Christiane Eilders raised the question of what happens to those who cannot keep pace with this development. The high speed of innovation means that many people are left behind if they cannot recognize or utilize the advantages of digitalization in their own lives.
Against this backdrop, Prof. Eilders emphasized the central importance of educational opportunities: digital skills must be systematically taught in schools, universities, and adult education. At the same time, individuals are also called upon to accept these opportunities and actively use them. Digitalization is not a sure-fire success, but requires both structural support and personal willingness to engage with it.
In addition to the opportunities, Christiane Eilders also addressed the risks of digital transformation. In particular, digital technologies make it much easier to spread disinformation. False or manipulated content can be produced and disseminated more quickly and convincingly, making it increasingly difficult to distinguish truth from lies. In the long term, this weakens the common information base and could undermine trust in the media, politics, and democratic processes. Artificial intelligence plays an ambivalent role in this, as it can be used both to amplify disinformation and to detect it.
With regard to political responsibility, Prof. Eilders made it clear that politicians are indeed active and are taking countermeasures, even if legislators are naturally lagging behind technological developments. There are high hopes for applications that facilitate routine tasks and for technical solutions for detecting fake news. Ultimately, it is crucial to remain socially adaptable and find ways to ride the digital wave instead of being overwhelmed by it.