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Research for the digital society

Global, interdisciplinary, in dialogue.

The institute's DNA

News from the institute

Call for Contributions

Science under pressure

Funding cuts, political interference, shrinking trust: This call invites reflections on visible symptoms and underlying dynamics of the forces that alter academia.

Press

When scientists are targeted, what helps?

At our KAPAZ workshop, researchers explored how to move from awareness to action. Read the summary on wissenschaftskommunikation.de.

Press

Public Interest AI

On reset.org, researcher Theresa Züger explains why artificial intelligence requires a new approach to technology for the benefit of society as a whole.

Press

Legal advice from AI: opportunity or risk?

Researcher Matthias C. Kettemann talks to ZDF about the question of whether AI language models are also suitable for answering legal questions. (In German)

Press

It’s just maths!

For the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND), HIIG researcher Theresa Züger categorises the current social debate on AI.

Publication

Resisting digital change at universities

A new open access paper by HIIG and CATALPA explores why digital transformation in universities meets resistance and calls for organisational strategies.

Upcoming events

Further events

  • Nov
    24
    Learning Call: Go East, Young DSA!
    Learning Call: Go East, Young DSA!
    16:00 - 17:00 | Online
  • Nov
    25
    Digitaler Salon: Ganz vorne oder ganz anders
    Digitaler Salon: Ganz vorne oder ganz anders
    19:00 - 20:00 | Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society
  • Nov
    26
    Ideathon: Between Ambition and Bureaucratic Barriers
    Ideathon: Between Ambition and Bureaucratic Barriers
    15:45 - 20:30 | Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society

    • Discussion dossiers

    Platform governance

    How can the goals of corporations and the values of society be reconciled on online platforms?

    Data governance

    How can the technical, organisational and regulatory mechanisms of data sharing and use serve the public interest?

    Artificial intelligence and society

    How can we better understand the complex and reciprocal relationship between AI systems and social processes?

    Digitalisation and sustainability

    How can technology be used responsibly, taking into account social, economic and ecological dimensions?

    Digital future of the workplace

    How will digital organisation, digitalisation, and AI in the workplace transform the world of work?

    KAPAZ- Material Collection

    Tackling hostility towards science

    What can be done when research comes under pressure? This resource collection supports researchers and institutions with strategies and tools for responding to hostile attacks.

    KI-Kompas

    AI compass

    AI is embedded across many areas of society, from medicine to nature conservation. Our card game presents concrete applications and invites players to critically examine their uses and implications.

    Data Governance Wegweiser - Digital Governance Lab

    Data governance guide

    Why does the potential of municipal data so often go unrealised? This handbook supports public administrations in planning and implementing data-driven projects in legally sound ways.

    DIGITAL SOCIETY BLOG

    Further articles

    Teenager with a smartphone in front of a graffiti wall, illustrating digital streetwork where street and social media meet.
    Christina Dinar | 5. November 2026

    Digital streetwork: Social work between TikTok and Telegram

    Digital streetwork takes social work off the street and onto social media plattforms. A new survey maps 36 projects in German-speaking countries and shows what they achieve and need.

    The photo shows an airplane seen from below flying over a circular building. This symbolizes the human role alongside the autopilot in aviation.
    Daniel Pothmann | 28. October 2026

    Autopilot on, brain off? What we can learn from aviation about automation

    Planes have landed automatically since the 1950s. Why do we still need pilots? What aviation teaches us about humans, machines and responsible automation.

    There are piles of colourful stones stacked on top of each other. They symbolise the debate among Bundestag members about wealth taxation on social media.
    Sami Nenno | 9. October 2026

    #TaxTheRich: How do members of the German Bundestag debate wealth taxation on social media?

    Germany’s Constitutional Court is reviewing the inheritance tax. A study shows how members of the Bundestag argue online.