Artificial intelligence: danger or opportunity for our democracy?

Artificial intelligence: danger or opportunity for our democracy?

On March 11, 2025, there is a significant lecture at the central library in Düsseldorf about the complex interactions between artificial intelligence (AI) and democracy. Under the title "AI and Democracy", Dr. Carina Weinmann, communications scientist at the Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, about the opportunities and risks that AI brings for political information processes and decision-making. According to the information from Politische-bildung.nrw.de, the event begins at 6:30 p.m. with an introduction by the State Center for Political Education North Rhine-Westphalia, followed by Dr. Weinmann's lecture at 6:45 p.m. and a discussion round at 7:15 p.m.

dr. Weinmann studied media and communication science, German studies and psychology at the University of Mannheim and received his doctorate in 2018. Her research focuses on political participation and the role of AI in media entertainment. The event in the "Realabor" should not only shed light on the theoretical aspects of the topic, but also give the public the opportunity to actively participate in the discussion. Entry is free and interested citizens can register by email.

opportunities and risks of the KI

The debate about AI has gained urgency since the Chatgpt's emergence at the end of 2022. Political-bildung.nrw.de AI can also reproduce existing power and status asymmetries by dominating it by private sector actors.

The role of citizen participation

In order to maximize the positive influence of AI on democracy, initiatives such as make.org are important. This Civic Tech organization is given a central place in strengthening citizen participation through transparent processes. She is working on making political access easier and promoting new forms of civil society self -organization. oeffhalt-it.de emphasizes that AI-based platforms such as Panoramic.ai enable them to ask questions and to receive precise answers to reliable data are based.

With the "Democratic Shield" initiative, Make.org wants to develop strategies to combat the spread of disinformation, especially in the run-up to the EU elections in 2024. In the long term, AI should serve as a tool for inclusive democracy, but this requires responsible and ethical action to strengthen trust in democratic institutions.

The discussion about the influence of AI on democratic processes remains up to date and requires an active examination of the constantly changing conditions of the digital age. The upcoming lecture by Dr. Weinmann offers a valuable opportunity to find out about these important aspects and to participate in the debate.