Research program: 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
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
White Paper: AI & Journalism
In the white paper on AI and journalism, Christoph Bieber contributes as co-author to the “Lernende Systeme” Platform.
Transformation of political participation
On 19 January 2023, Anne Goldmann, Pauline Heger & Christoph Bieber participated in a session of the seminar “Transformation of Political Participation” at the NRW...
“Failed yet successful: Learning from discontinued civic tech initiatives”
As part of the CHI23 conference, Mennatullah Hendawy and Christoph Bieber are participating in the implementation of a workshop. A request for participation came from...
“Introduction to Ethics. Basic Models of Ethics”
As part of the seminar “Transparency, Ethics and the Public Sphere in (Digital) Democracy”, led by Anne Goldmann at the University of Duisburg/Essen, Jana Baum...
“Ryle on voluntary actions”
From 3 to 5 November 2022, the conference “The End of Autonomy?” took place at the Bratislava International School of Liberal Arts (BISLA). On this...
“Germany one year after the Bundestag election”
In this interdisciplinary event, German and international journalists and academics will deal with the populist influence on democratic processes: be it through various forms of...
“Quakes in the system: the reform of public service broadcasting”
Better control and more transparency: After the revelations at rbb, public broadcasting has come under massive criticism. Calls for a reform of the control structure...
“Digitalisation policy”
WDR 3 Forum is the authoritative platform for current cultural and socio-political issues. Be there live when controversial opinions meet. With their different perspectives and...
“The Role of AI in the Electoral Process”
A short presentation (“intervention”) on the role of AI systems in the electoral process. Central questions/theses: Modernising elections with computer technology is already difficult enough...
Journal article “AI Policy in Germany”
A new peer review article was published in the dms Special Issue on “Policy Change and Stability” with the title:“Technological Change Meets Policy Field Change:...
“I’m a Scientist. Get me out of here.”
For the theme week of “I’m a Scientist. Get me out of here.”, Anne Goldmann will be answering pupils’ questions on the topic of artificial...
Co-creative research practice at CAIS
On 23.09.2022 the conference: Exploring Socio-Technical Research – A Multi-Method Transdisciplinary Workshop at TU Dresden. For this, Samuel Simon, Josephine Schmitt and Christoph Bieber will...
AI Governance: On the Political Shaping of a Digital Technology
On 05.10.2022, a lecture on AI governance will be held in Cologne by our research programme “Digital Democratic Innovations” with the title “AI Governance: On...
Ursula von der Leyen’s Third State of the European Union Address
In a blog post from 14.09.2022, the third State of the European Union speech by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was analysed and...
Digital public sphere and liberal democracy – a challenging relationship
On 05.09.2022, the lecture: “Digital public sphere and liberal democracy – a challenging relationship” by Anne Goldmann took place at the European Academy Mecklenburg-Vorpommern via...
„The Placeless Parliament“
Under the title “The Placeless Parliament”, a blog post by Christoph Bieber was published in the English-language series “Parliaments in Wartime” on 12.05.2022.
“AI_Governance in the multi-level system”
As part of the lecture series “Artificial Intelligence – Antagonisms in the Digital Revolution”, Christoph Bieber will give a lecture at Düsseldorf University of Applied...
“The Berlin “traffic light coalission” governing in multiple crises”
On the topic of governing in multiple crises, the online panel “The Berlin “traffic light coalission” governing in multiple crises” will take place on 2...
“Subjectivity and Digitality”
On 22 April, the seminar “Subjectivity and Digitality” by Jana Baum started at the University of Leipzig.
The planned takeover of Twitter by Elon Musk
In the radio interview with Deutschlandfunk on 26.04.2022, Christoph Bieber talks about the planned takeover of Twitter by Elon Musk.
„Wait, did I do that? Effects of previous decisions on moral decision-making“
For the article, several studies were conducted with moral dilemmas, investigating the influence that previous decisions (within a narrative context) can have on moral decisions.
“The Media and the Sustainability Revolution”
Christoph Bieber will take part in the specialist workshop “The Media and the Sustainability Revolution” on 18.03.2022.
“Why humanities scholars make AI research better”
What do humanities scholars have to do with AI and computer science? At best, quite a lot.
“Science and Research in the Digital Age”
What does it mean in concrete terms to digitise a society? Is it conceivable in Germany, for example, to hold a digital postal vote? What...
“Digital, Diverse, Dynamic. Perspectives on Party Democracy”
Under the title “Digital, diverse, dynamic. Perspectives on Party Democracy.” an essay with Christoph Bieber and Isabelle Borucki from the CAIS Programme Commission was published.
Short interview for the newsletter Tagesspiegel Background Digitalisation & AI
In a short interview for the newsletter Tagesspiegel Background – Digitalisation & AI of 09.11.2021, Christoph Bieber answers questions about the nomination of Lars Klingbeil...
The power of tech corporations in the USA and Europe
As part of his upcoming Thomas Mann Fellowship (7/2022-9/2022), Christoph Bieber participated in a 90-minute online discussion panel at the Los Angeles Review of Books...
“The Hour of the Consultative? Lecture on the triangular relationship between science, consultation and politics in the Corona pandemic”
Programme Director Christoph Bieber gave the keynote address at the conference “The Know-it-all Society?” at the Academy for Political Education on 15 October 2021.
Launch of the first research programme at CAIS
“Digital Democratic Innovations” is the title of the first research programme starting in October at the Center for Advanced Internet Studies (CAIS) in Bochum. Prof....
Research programme “Digital Democratic Innovation” starts in October
Prof. Dr. Christoph Bieber will lead the programme for the next five years at CAIS and will be on leave from the University of Duisburg-Essen...
The Team
