Quarterly News

Dear friends and fellow researchers,

A fresh breeze is blowing at HIIG with the start of 2026! Thanks to the support of three renowned German foundations, we have been able to realign our research agenda. In the coming years, our team will continue to engage with pressing challenges of our time. This will include examining the role of knowledge and science in democratic self-determination and analysing how different forms of innovation and entrepreneurship can respond to systemic societal challenges. Looking forward, we will focus on how digital technologies can be more closely aligned with societal goals. We will also examine the conditions under which rules for emerging technologies — like AI, brain–computer interfaces and quantum technologies — are shaped, and who gets to shape them.

While some of our research directions are evolving, our interdisciplinary approach and our dialogue across academia, politics and civil society remain unchanged. We invite you to explore the latest highlights from our research projects, publications and upcoming events.

Stay informed and inspired,
Jeanette Hofmann · Björn Scheuermann · Thomas Schildhauer · Wolfgang Schulz

Research and activities

Research agenda: Four new research focuses

At HIIG, we conduct problem-oriented theoretical and empirical research at the intersection of internet and society. Since the end of 2025, our research team has been developing four new research focuses to analyse the relationship between innovation and governance. We seek to advance a deeper understanding of how digital societies evolve and transform from the following four perspectives:

New project: Narratives and Power in the Debate on AI and Work

This new research project explores, in a comparative way, the emergence, dissemination and impact of AI narratives on the future of work in Germany and the US. The research team analyses which actors shape the debate, which narratives and frames dominate, and how they evolve over time. Particular focus is placed on the perspective of workers.

Impact AI: Project Council

Our Impact AI project now has a Project Council. Consisting of eleven leading experts from various disciplines and fields of experience, it will support the project over the next five years. The Council's role is to reflect on the findings of 15 AI case studies and iteratively improve the project's auditing method for assessing social impact, sustainability and public interest.

Publications

Strengthening Trust: Code of conduct

The Human in the Loop? project team has developed ten guidelines for human-machine decision-making in content moderation in order to improve fairness and transparency. They provide a research-grounded framework for fair content moderation, supplementing the Digital Services Act with practical, sector-specific guidelines and concrete measures for the responsible use of automated systems.

Information Ecosystems and Troubled Democracy

This open access book, co-authored by Matthias C. Kettemann, offers an interdisciplinary overview of research on news media, AI and data governance. It critically examines how today’s information ecosystems challenge democracy and highlights global policy efforts to strengthen public discourse, protect media freedom and make public institutions more resilient in the face of the weaponisation of information.

Scientific advice for local politics in Germany

Drawing on 17 interviews, Benedikt Fecher, Nataliia Sokolovska and Gert Wagner show that while demand for scientific expertise is growing in local German politics, decision-makers rarely engage directly with academia. Instead, they rely on consultants and other intermediary actors offering solution-oriented, accessible advice. The findings highlight a structural gap and raise questions about future advisory models.

HIIG BOOKSHELF · Other worthwhile publications

Events

DSA and Platform Regulation Conference

The Digital Services Act has been in full effect for two years. This international conference is a timely opportunity to take stock of its impact. Hosted by the DSA Observatory within the DSA Research Network, it will bring together experts from academia, civil society, regulatory bodies, industry and legal practice. They will parse its broader legal and political context and discuss how the framework could be enhanced.

Discussion: Hostility in digital spaces

In February, our Digitaler Salon will be focusing on hostility, hate and harassment in online spaces. The event is part of the KAPAZ project, which studies hostility towards science and researchers. The insights gained are relevant to anyone facing online abuse. We will discuss why digital communication can escalate so quickly, the impact on those targeted, and how to cope with and respond to online attacks.

Closing event: Impulses for the future of higher education

In March, we will invite university representatives to the closing event of the OrA and ORC research projects. It will be highlighting key insights on how universities can strengthen resilience, adaptability and the use of education technologies in times of crisis. Research findings and discussion will focus on turning lessons learned into future-ready strategies.

Beyond HIIG · Events that caught our eye

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Alexander von Humboldt Institut für Internet und Gesellschaft (HIIG)
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