Topic: Digital public sphere

Digital media, fake news, and the power of opinions – never before have we had access to so much information. How can we shape public discourse, political coordination, and participation? What rules are necessary for a digital public sphere?

Digital Science Communication: Strategies for Media Relations and Public Spaces of Conflict (Part 2/2)

Digital visibility can make research more effective, but also brings scrutiny, criticism and controversy. Good science communication therefore needs preparation, role awareness and strategies for dealing with public attention.

Policy Brief on the social media ban: The bidt provides facts for a controversial debate

A new bidt policy brief reveals how people in Germany view a potential ban on social media for children and young people. The story was covered by numerous national and regional media outlets.

bidt meets re:publica 2026

“Never gonna give you up” – under this slogan, around 30,000 people gathered at re:publica/TINCON in Berlin – Europe’s leading digital conference. Once again this year, the bidt was represented at the event with four…

The role of AI in Counterspeech: Assessing Risks and Potential

Hate speech harms individuals and digital debates. The study shows how AI can support counterspeech – and what risks need to be considered.

The debate over a social media ban: facts rather than gut feelings

Researchers from bidt, CAIS, and the Weizenbaum Institute provide an evidence-based perspective on social media bans for children and teenagers and warn against rushed political measures.

Three questions for the team behind the bidt project ‘Ethics in Agile Software Development’

Jan Gogoll and Niina Zuber explain how ethical reflection can be integrated into agile software development—and why AI coding assistants cannot replace human responsibility.

Deutschlandfunk Background – The Germany Stack: Sabine Pfeiffer examines key issues in the digital modernisation of the state

What might a shared digital infrastructure for public services in Germany look like? In a Deutschlandfunk feature, Professor Sabine Pfeiffer explains the unresolved issues surrounding the project.

Forests in transition: the ROOT research project makes changes visible and usable

To mark the conclusion of the “ROOT – Real-Time Earth Observation of Forest Dynamics and Biodiversity” project, the “ROOT Forest Monitor” app was unveiled, which is already available for practical use.

Ute Schmid receives the 2026 Communicator Award

Professor Ute Schmid has been awarded the 2026 Communicator Prize. The director of bidt is being honoured for her commitment to communicating artificial intelligence in a way that is both accessible and socially responsible.