Digital Society

The use of algorithmic systems is always geared to specific purposes. These systems are designed to decide, optimize, compare, prioritize and so forth. Without reference to norms and values it is impossible to decide which purposes are to be defined. And even in such cases where no explicit reference to values is made, algorithmic systems are never neutral; they are always value-based in two senses. Firstly, the systems adhere to the values and attitudes of their developers. Secondly, they always operate on the basis of data that reflect in their turn the moral concepts, preferences and habits of their creators in whichever context they were developed.

If digital technologies are in this sense inseparable from value attributions and value-based decisions, they entail then both an opportunity and a risk: they can strengthen values such as justice, participation, solidarity or cohesion, or indeed they can erode precisely these values. Although algorithms are used across cultural boundaries, there is no consensus about the values that they need to respect. This is why international dialogue about the following questions is urgently needed: Is it possible to agree on common values and on how they determine algorithmic systems?

This kind of dialogue cannot assume that our “European values” will automatically be recognized internationally. It would be short-sighted not to engage in such dialogue for this reason given the powerful political and economic drivers behind the spread of digital technologies, especially in China and the USA. We must represent our values in this dialogue, even if our influence may be limited. One thing is certain: digitization is forcing us to reassess the basic normative principles of our societies in Germany and Europe.

We want to support the renewal of basic normative principles in a digital society. Such principles should prove themselves in international dialogue and find practical application during the development and use of digital technologies.

• Digital applications raise ethical questions. We will use these to promote international dialogue about fundamental values and concepts of humankind.
• We contribute to ensuring that fundamental values and ethical principles are translated into application-oriented approaches and practically tested.

We believe that democracy forms the political basis for any peaceful coexistence and is the prerequisite for ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to realize their potential. However, the use of digital technologies is putting pressure on democracy as a form of society and government: for example, state sovereignty can be curtailed by the power of global digital corporations; communication systems used for manipulation can undermine the true democratic principle that power constellations can be changed by elections; the use of artificial intelligence systems can make it more difficult to follow the reasoning behind decisions (regarding lending or insurance premiums, or indeed official decrees), and to correct such decisions; digital surveillance methods can hinder the free expression of opinion and restrict the diversity of opinion; digital information platforms can remove the foundation for critical journalism and a free press.

However, the application of digital technologies can also strengthen democracies, expand their problem-solving capabilities and make government administrative processes more efficient. Nothing illustrates the opportunities and risks of digital technology more clearly than the public political discourse in the social media: on the one hand it increases participation chances, while on the other it fosters the radicalization and polarization of viewpoints.

We want democratic rights and principles to be preserved in a digital society. At the same time, we want greater advantage to be taken of the opportunities offered by digital applications when it comes to strengthening democracy and social cohesion.

• We create spaces for trust-based dialogue between representatives of politics/government, business, science, academia and civil society. In these spaces they work together to devise ways of better protecting and strengthening democratic rights and principles in a digital society.
• We offer decision-makers in the areas of politics, business and civil society a solid analytical basis that will help them regulate, develop and use digital applications in such a way that democratic principles are upheld.
• We support the trialling and practical application of digital technologies, methods and concepts that strengthen democracy and social cohesion.

There is little scientific evidence available about what characterizes public discourse on digital issues in Germany and Europe, and about which attitudes on these issues predominate among the population. It was long the case that blanket statements were made about digitization. These days there is a great deal of talk about artificial intelligence, much of which focuses on the extreme situation of a rather artificial general intelligence that will prove superior to humans and could end up controlling us. The fact that so much attention is paid to this extreme scenario means that insufficient consideration is given to those areas in which AI applications have long since become an everyday part of our lives and which – in some cases problematic – consequences this could have.

For people to be able to form democratic opinions, it is necessary to have an informed public discourse, involving as widespread participation as possible, about a subject that will play a major role in shaping the future.

This requires on the one hand better public dissemination of knowledge about digital technology and the criteria needed to evaluate it. Publicly funded civic education has a role to play here, as have journalists and scholars, and indeed activists in the social media. On the other hand, however, what is also needed are stable civil society organizations that are willing to commit themselves continually to a plural societal dialogue and make contributions to the discourse that are oriented to the common good. There is a lack of this all over Europe due to the mere fact that the subject is still relatively new.

We want a broader and better informed public discourse on the societal effects of digitization.

• We help civil society in Germany and Europe to take part more effectively and with greater knowledge in discussions about the application and regulation of algorithmic systems and to raise awareness about issues in which regulation is needed.
• We encourage universities, research institutions, think tanks and others to contribute more actively to public debates on the significance and consequences of implementing algorithmic systems.
• We support fact-based media reporting about developments in digitization and their implications for society.