CAISzeit – The Podcast
What kind of digital society do we actually want to live in? CAISzeit is dedicated to this very question. In the podcast of the Center for Advanced Internet Studies (CAIS), we discuss with researchers from various disciplines how the digital transformation is changing our society.
What dangers are there in the digital space and what potential does it open up? Which digital innovations will determine the future? How are digital technologies already changing the way we work, inform ourselves and form our opinions? Against the backdrop of scientific research, we look with our guests at multifaceted phenomena of digitalization. Digital transformation is more than a purely technological phenomenon. As a socio-technical process, it is already shaping politics, the economy, the media, culture and our entire social life.
In CAISzeit, we talk to researchers about the phenomena of digitization. In addition to addressing the risks, we focus on looking constructively into the future and finding possible solutions.
Dr. Matthias Begenat, Head of Science Communication
Credits
Intro/Outro Music: ccbysa4.0 tastenspieler
intro/outro narrator: Laura Habke
Editorial Team
Host: Dr. Matthias Begenat
Contributor/Research: Bjona Thaci
Current episode
Welcome to the Uncanny Valley: Artificial Avatars and Real Trust in Science Communication – With Jasmin Baake
When do artificial avatars help in science communication – and when do they destroy our trust? Jasmin Baake researches AI-generated avatars and discusses the uncanny valley phenomenon on the CAISzeit podcast with host Dr. Matthias Begenat.
Appearance and voice feel real, the explanation is convincing – but something is off. At that exact moment, fascination turns into discomfort: welcome to the so-called uncanny valley, the unsettling gap between human and human-like.
In the new episode of our podcast, Jasmin Baake talks with host Dr. Matthias Begenat about her current research on AI-generated avatars and their effects on us as humans. The central question: what about trust in artificial avatars in science communication? Jasmin Baake explores when artificial avatars help us and when they undermine our trust. Her study “Balancing Realism and Trust: AI Avatars In Science Communication,” which she published together with Josephine B. Schmitt and Julia Metag, provides important insights into how to handle generative AI in science communication.
About the study: Baake, J., Schmitt, J., & Metag, J. (2025). Balancing Realism and Trust: AI Avatars In Science Communication. Journal of Science Communication, 24(2). https://doi.org/10.22323/2.24020203
Recommendations on the topic
- dieFilmfabrik. (2015, Dezember 6). CGI des Grauens – Das ist das Uncanny Valley [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hxu9OYesTe8
- Buolamwini, J. (2024). Unmasking AI: My mission to protect what is human in a world of machines. Random House.
- Block, E., & Lovegrove, R. (2021). Discordant storytelling, “honest fakery,” identity peddling: How uncanny CGI characters are jamming public relations and influencer practices. Public Relations Inquiry, 10(3), 265–293. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/2046147X211026936
- Stein, J. P., Breves, P. L., & Anders, N. (2024). Parasocial interactions with real and virtual influencers: The role of perceived similarity and human-likeness. New Media & Society, 26(6), 3433–3453. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/14614448221102900
- Duckwitz, A. (2024, Oktober). „21-year-old robot living in LA“ – Die schöne neue Welt der KI-Influencer. Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung – Die Politische Meinung. https://www.kas.de/de/web/die-politische-meinung/artikel/detail/-/content/21-year-old-robot-living-in-la
Jasmin Baake is a research associate in the research group “Design of Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence”. Her work focuses on involving people from different social backgrounds in the design of AI systems. Her goal is to explore how human-AI interaction can be designed equitably.
All episodes
Welcome to the Uncanny Valley: Artificial Avatars and Real Trust in Science Communication – With Jasmin Baake
When do artificial avatars help in science communication – and when do they destroy our trust? Jasmin Baake researches AI-generated avatars and discusses the uncanny valley phenomenon on the CAISzeit podcast with host Dr. Matthias Begenat.
Agile Science – Research in Sprints? – With Samuel T. Simon
Green Innovations (Un)wanted? The “Pop-Up Citizen Lab” as a New Form of Citizen Participation – With Pauline Heger
Hidden Rules, Visible Consequences: Who Moderates Our Timeline?
Exploring the Darknet: Between Safe Haven, Crime, and Conspiracy Theories
Audible Impact? How Podcasts Bring Research to the World. Guests – Dr. Charmaine Voigt and Birte Kuhle
Podcasts have long been an essential part of science communication. But what makes a science podcast successful? How can content be effectively and sustainably shared with the public? And which […]
Voting Under Time Pressure: Challenges of the 2025 Snap Bundestag Election – Guests: Anne Goldmann and Aryan Shooshtari
Can justice be programmed? Fairness and transparency in algorithms. Guest: Miriam Fahimi
Algorithms determine our lives: From the content we see on social media to the loans we are granted.
Facts or fakes: How do I recognize trustworthy content on news sites? – Guest: Prof. Dr. Hendrik Heuer
Reliable information is incredibly important for all of us.