TEDx Saarbrigge: Making democracy tangible in the digital age!

TEDx Saarbrigge: Making democracy tangible in the digital age!

The “TEDx Saarbrigge” event will take place on June 14, 2025 at the CoHub in Saarbrücken. This initiative is dedicated to the important topic of democracy in the digital age and is aimed at all interested citizens. The event will be themed “Democracy in the Digital Age: Ideas that Shape Our Future” and aims to shed light on the influence of algorithms and social media on democratic processes.

The TEDx conference is organized by Professor Ingmar Weber from the Interdisciplinary Institute for Societal Computing at Saarland University and Dr. Kevin Baum from the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI). The event is supported by several partners, including Algoright, Dock 11 and the State Center for Civic Education.

The importance of digital democracy

In recent years, information consumption behavior has changed significantly, which has also had a lasting impact on trust in the media. The German population's trust in media fell from 48% in 2023 to 47% in 2024. At the same time, trust in the government fell from 47% to 42%. These developments are alarming and underline the need to reflect on the impact of digital technologies on society and, in particular, on democracy. Access to reliable information remains crucial for a functioning democracy.

The “TEDx Saarbrigge” event will bring together prominent speakers, including Dr. Adriano Mannino, who deals with the interface between technology and human rights, and Christian Felber, author and movement founder. Psychologist Carolin-Theresa Ziemer, who deals with conspiracy beliefs and social polarization, will also speak. Overall, various experts from the fields of computer science, politics and society will be represented to illuminate the topic of democracy in digital times from different perspectives.

Risks of digital manipulation

The challenges facing democracy in the digital age are significant. Artificial intelligence has been identified as a major global risk, particularly because of the dangers posed by misinformation and disinformation. Algorithmic techniques enable targeted personalization of content and automated content production. These developments lead to systematic manipulation of social media, which has a negative impact on democratic elections.

Increasing social polarization can be observed, fueled by algorithmic curation of content and psychological mechanisms such as confirmation bias. Political actors use platforms specifically to maximize the visibility of their messages. This tactic is particularly reinforced by influencers, who play an important role in today's information landscape and have established themselves as alternative sources of trust.

The AfD, for example, has built a massive digital infrastructure that allows it to expand its reach through strategic use of algorithms and influencers. Such manipulation strategies fragment public discourse and lead to the erosion of trust in institutions.

Commitment and responsibility

The upcoming event also offers space for discussions about the responsibility of platform operators, political actors and civil society. Recommendations for action to combat digital manipulation include developing a code of conduct for parties, promoting public education campaigns and a clear multi-stakeholder approach. Transparency regarding algorithms and user data is also very important.

Because, as already bpb.de emphasizes, the digital public is called upon to actively address the challenges that the digital age brings with it for democracy. The dialogue initiated during the “TEDx Saarbrigge” event could help develop innovative approaches to strengthen democratic processes in an increasingly digitalized world.

For further information about the event and registration, those interested can visit the Saarland University website or contact Katja Raak directly at hello@i2sc.net.