Research program: DDI – Digital democratic innovations
With his team, Prof. Christoph Bieber will research how democracy changes in a digital society and how it can be promoted through digitization. The empirical focus of the program is on the development and use of online voting and elections. In a second empirical topic, the researchers are looking at the political and social effects of smart city projects.
In two interdisciplinary working groups, the program will be developed in agile, flexible team constellations and implemented with innovative tools. The program is committed to an open understanding of science and will contribute to the development of innovations for the common good in the sense of application-oriented research with the help of a real laboratory.
“We currently see that digital tools can give a voice to people who are otherwise not heard. Nevertheless, the concerns of many people are left out of modern negotiation processes because of a lack of access or competencies. Under what conditions digital innovations can strengthen the common good in democratic processes is our focus.”
Prof. Christoph Bieber
Head of the research program
“Digital Democratic Innovations
Straight to …
How are political decision-making and social participation changing under the conditions of digitalization?
In the Corona pandemic, the influence of technological possibilities on social negotiation processes received a renewed boost. Contact bans have made political gatherings such as party conventions and protest rallies more difficult or shifted them entirely to digital spaces, the preparation of decisions has often taken place via video conferencing, and decision-making has also been implemented with digital tools. These developments are not new: Participation in the political process and the production of binding decisions are changing with the technologies available for this purpose.
Data-oriented state and digital civil society
The concrete starting point for the development of the research program is a dynamic interrelationship: Under the conditions of digitization, an increasingly data-oriented state is forming, which is developing new activities and routines. Opposed to this is a digital civil society, which for its part is driving forward citizen-centered technology development and its use in order to secure self-determination and participation for a sovereign network citizenry. This field of tension is connected by a digital infrastructure – partly public, partly private – in which a multitude of media and market players meet in fragmented, networked public spheres. This reveals the always ambivalent contours of a digital innovation landscape that encompasses a broad spectrum of fields of inquiry: Centralized data repositories in state hands offer the opportunity for a forward-looking provision of public services, but also harbor the danger of misuse and manipulation. Digital platforms express hitherto non-publicly audible positions, but can also promote social polarization. A “smart city” opens up new options for urban life and intelligent mobility, but can always also be understood as a surveillance apparatus. And: Many people are denied participation in such modern negotiation processes because they lack access, media knowledge and competence. Against this background, the research program will investigate democratic innovations that emerge through the use of data, algorithms and digital practices.
Policy change, public good technology and digital ethics
Addressing this question succeeds by focusing on several objectives:
- First, a more precise knowledge of the effect of digital decisions on political organizations and processes is to be obtained. This is linked to a theoretical contribution to the changes in the form of democratic-representative politics in the digital constellation.
- Second, it is important to identify spaces and tools that unfold potentials for new forms of digital participation and public good-oriented technology use.
- Third, the dynamics between the data-rich state and digital civil society can be captured – a normative perspective formulates considerations on the politics of the data-oriented society in the sense of digital ethics.
Research question
How are political decision-making and social participation changing under the conditions of digitalization?
News
How the heat transition is taking shape in Bochum
How district heating works and the opportunities it offers for sustainable heat supply will be discussed by experts on March 19.
The Influence of Big Tech: Power and Politics in the Digital Age
The role of major technology companies in the digital era is the focus of an engaging online discussion by Amerikahaus NRW e.V. with Christoph Bieber...
Digital Modernization of Elections
Christoph Bieber discusses possibilities for modernizing and digitizing election organization and execution in the program Breitband.
Infographic on the federal election 2025: election organization, parties, logistics, municipalities
The DDI team has developed an interactive graphic which depicts the challenges of election organization in the areas of electoral bodies, parties, logistics and municipalities.
The violence of the majority: Rethinking AI positionality in decision-making
Mennatullah Hendawy’s article, published in the Internet Policy Review, criticizes how AI systems amplify societal biases through majority-centered data and utilitarian design principles.
How can elections be modernized? A discussion ahead of the German Bundestag election on analog and digital voting
Christoph Bieber talks with Julia Schwanholz on the “Politischer Pausen Podcast” about the possibilities and challenges of modernizing elections.
Politechathon: Future technologies for democracy – with a focus on AI and elections
Anne Goldmann supported the Politechathon teams in developing and presenting their projects, which focussed on the interplay between AI and elections.
AI as a weapon in the election campaign
Christoph Bieber is quoted in an article in the MIT Technology Review on the topic of “AI as a weapon in election campaigns”, which examines...
“Political Ecology of Smart Cities”: Paper by Christoph Bieber and Anne Goldmann at the DVPW Congress
Christoph Bieber and Anne Goldmann present their paper “Political Ecology of Smart Cities: Urban data processing and its environmental impact” at the DVPW Congress in...
Can the “Apperception Engine” possess theoretical knowledge?
Jana Baum presents at the “Human and Artificial Rationalities” conference in Paris whether the Apperception Engine, an AI-based programme that processes sensory input with Kantian...
Article by Wähner, Deubel, Breuer and Weller on “Research ethics on Mastodon” published
Marco Wähner, Annika Deubel, Johannes Breuer and Katrin Weller have published an article on research ethics in connection with the social network Mastodon in the...
Christoph Bieber in the Tagesschau
Christoph Bieber, research professor at CAIS in Bochum, comments on Donald Trump’s political communication strategy on Platform X in an article in the Tagesschau news...
Generative AI and democracy: new challenges and opportunities
Christoph Bieber has contributed to the white paper “AI in the super election year 2024: Generative AI in the environment of democratic processes”, which sheds...
“Digital public sphere – do we need a new enlightenment”
Christoph is taking part in the event “Digital public sphere – do we need a new enlightenment” as part of the “Forum Bellevue on the...
AI and elections: Between free opinion-forming and manipulation
Christoph Bieber answers questions on the role of AI in the run-up to political elections in the format “Nachgefragt zu KI” of the Plattform Lernende...
Digital voting in the European elections, or: How to modernise elections?
Christoph Bieber gives an impulse at the meeting of the “Data Democracy” working group of Initiative D21 and sheds light on the digital status of...
Results on digital counsil systems at the DVPW conference
Anouk Cenan and Prof Dr Christoph Bieber present their study on digital council systems at the DVPW conference “Das Superkommunalwahljahr 2024 and beyond” in Duisburg.
The unity of the system: AI and theoretical knowledge
At the International Kant Congress 2024 in Bonn, Jana Baum from CAIS will talk about whether the Apperception Engine, an AI-based programme that processes sensory...
Jana Baum reviews “Digitality” by Jörg Noller
Jana Baum has published a review of Jörg Noller’s book “Digitalität. Zur Philosophie der digitalen Lebenswelt” in the Philosophisches Jahrbuch.
Pauline Heger and Mennatullah Hendawy present ideas on energy justice
Pauline Heger presents ideas on energy justice at the 15th International Conference on Sustainability Transitions in Oslo.
Presentations on smart cities and sustainability – two glimpses into the future
This year, CAIS is represented with three contributions at the Weizenbaum Institute conference on “Uncertain Journeys into Digital Futures”.
AI-supported results as a basis for political argumentation? Anne Goldmann presents at the dg.o 2024
Anne Goldmann presents her research on the use of AI-supported results in the German Bundestag at dg.o 2024 in Taipei.
Mennatullah Hendawy publishes research on smart cycling
A team of researchers, including Mennatullah Hendawy from CAIS, has published a study on the vision of smart cycling in seven cities.
Mennatullah Hendawy at ALF debate on AI ethics
Mennatullah Hendawy from CAIS spoke at the ALF Policy Debate on “AI Ethics Across Borders: Intercultural Approaches in the Euro-Med Region”.
Algorithms, fake news and deepfakes: AI as a means of disinformation and influence in the 2024 super election year
Prof. Christoph Bieber took part in the panel discussion with US Consul General Pauline A. Kao and Marlin Mayer, PhD student and expert in conspiracy...
Panel discussion on “AI and democracy: opportunities and risks”
Christoph Bieber from the DDI research programme was part of the discussion panel “AI and Democracy” on 18 April in Leipzig.
Digital council systems: News from the lowlands of digitalisation
A survey of the use of digital council information systems (DRS) in the municipalities of North Rhine-Westphalia.
AIT’s Forum on the Histories of the Internet.
A talk at the AIT’s Forum about “The Internet of Things: Co-production for Inclusive Smart Cities.”
Christoph Bieber on smart cities
Sensors and technology will ensure that more and more data is collected in cities.
Introduction to ethics. Basic models of ethics.
On 20 December 2023, Jana Baum will hold a seminar session on “Introduction to ethics. Basic models of ethics.” will lead.
AI improves society?!
Christoph Bieber is organising a workshop on “Digital Ethics” during a conference on 18 and 19 January at the Academy for Political Education in Tutzing.
What impact will AI have on the super election year?
Christoph Bieber talks about the upcoming super election year 2024 and the influence of artificial intelligence in the Tagesschau article.
Second special issue of the transfer journal easy_social_sciences published
The second special issue of the transfer journal easy_social_sciences in collaboration with Julian Kohne (GESIS) and Johannes Breuer has been published.
Contribution to the anthology “Elections are also just an algorithm”
Anne Goldmann and Christoph Bieber with a contribution to the anthology “Regieren in der Transformationsgesellschaft” on the topic of elections and algorithms.
Update: Smart City Summit Lower Rhine
Christoph Bieber takes part in the Smart City Summit on the Lower Rhine. The date for this has been postponed from November 2023 to February...
Workshop: The future of democracy
From 13 to 14 November, Christoph Bieber will be taking part in the Future of Democracy workshop in Barcelona (the current European Capital of Democracy).
Lectureship Media Research at the TU Dresden
At the TU Dresden, Pauline Heger holds a lectureship in the Media Research degree programme.
Accompanying learning paths (digitally): Intelligent Tutorial Systems
With a blog post at the Lamarr Institute, Ann-Christin Falhs, Astrid Wichmann and Nikol Rummel work in cooperation.
Inter-University Young Researchers Conference Stuttgart
Jana Baum will give a lecture on 1 October on the question of the extent to which artificial intelligence can possess theoretical knowledge, using the...
Podcast Episode “Digital Sensemaker”
For the 100th podcast episode, Anne Goldmann was a guest on “Digital Sensemaker” to talk about AI and politics.
The Team
