Successful Event on Technology-Driven Research Approaches for a Stronger Democracy
Research focus: Digital Democracy and Participation
The event, organized by the State Representation of Baden-Württemberg, focused on research results of the SOSEC project and the handling of the social divide in times of crisis. It also offered insights into further innovative research projects and an opportunity to exchange ideas with politics, science, and industry experts.
On September 26, 2024, research on digital democracy was the focus of a high-profile event at the Representation of the State of Baden-Württemberg in Berlin. The central question of the evening was: How can we employ digital technologies to strengthen democracy instead of jeopardizing it? Scientists, political actors, and journalists discussed the challenges posed by disinformation and polarization and the potential of technology to counteract these developments. In a super-election year, when more than half of the world’s population exercises their right to vote, social tensions are increasing, exacerbated by disinformation campaigns and global crises. Technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and social networks are further adding to the momentum of these developments.
Research results from SOSEC project presented
At the event, the latest findings from the SOSEC (Social Sentiments in Times of Crises) project were presented. This project aims to capture social sentiment and analyze potential polarization tendencies. In her speech, Petra Olschowski, Minister of Science, Research and Arts for the State of Baden-Württemberg, emphasized the relevance of this research, especially in times of crisis: “With the House of Participation, the Karlsruhe-based FZI Research Center for Information Technology has established a place where computer science experts can get together with scientists from the field of democracy research. In times of rapid change, it is essential to analyze how people cope and how relevant events affect our opinions and behavior.”
Moderated by Dinah Riese (taz), the journalist and author Gilda Sahebi and the Head of the FZI House of Participation Dr. Jonas Fegert discussed with the minister how AI can detect disinformation and promote democratic discourse.
Interdisciplinary research for a resilient democracy
The event was an impressive demonstration of how crucial interdisciplinary research and technology-based approaches are for a resilient democracy. Especially in times of increasing polarization, monitoring these developments with scientifically sound methods and developing solutions is vital.
Personal exchange and presentation of digital research approaches
After the panel discussion, guests could delve deeper into the debate in one-on-one conversations with players from science, industry, and political institutions and learn about current research projects at various demonstration sites.
Disinformation
The DeFaktS project aims to combat disinformation campaigns by revealing the underlying factors and stylistic devices. With the help of Artificial Intelligence, messages from suspicious social media and messenger groups are analyzed to warn users transparently of disinformation.
The Large Language Media Manipulator (LLMM-Demonstrator) shows how language models can manipulate information by automatically editing current news articles, changing the style and political bias. The aim is to explain the technology understandably, raising awareness of how easy it is to manipulate information, and to promote critical reflection as well as the verification of sources.
Social polarization
Under the SOSEC project, a research design for recording and forecasting social sentiment is being developed. Surveys and the analysis of panel data, supplemented by news events and social media data, are used to assess the general mood in crises to build countermeasures in the event of potential crises and thus strengthen democracy.
Digital participation
The VIRTUS project is developing a virtual reality platform to enable digital participation in urban planning by offering citizens on-site and virtual access to urban spaces and 3D models. The aim is to create an immersive participation design enabling broad and barrier-free participation in planning processes.
About the FZI House of Participation (HoP)
The House of Participation – or HoP for short – is a center of excellence that promotes cooperation between the public, politics, academia, and development to shape digital democracy actively. It explores and develops digital participation processes and platforms, fights disinformation and social divide, and brings decision-makers from different fields into dialogue.