New BMFTR Project: Artificial Intelligence and Democracy

The Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space is funding our project “AI and Democracy: Rule of Law, Participation, Sustainability” from January 1 to December 31, 2026, with nearly €300,000.

Summary

Artificial intelligence (AI) increasingly shapes the economy, society, and politics. Particularly influential at present are the large, generative, and data-driven AI systems operated by international corporations. Since this technology is primarily controlled by multinational companies, it offers not only tremendous opportunities but also complex risks. It changes power dynamics and raises new questions for democracy and the rule of law. This development requires critical and ethical accompanying research that examines not only the technical but also the societal consequences. The project “AI and Democracy” investigates how democratic values, sustainability, and justice can be preserved and strengthened in a society increasingly shaped by AI technologies.

Objectives and Approach

The project analyzes the interactions between the multinational AI industry and democracy. The central question is: How can democratic values, participation, and justice be upheld in a world shaped by AI technology and its industrial actors? To answer this, four closely interrelated topics are examined: the growth ambitions of global technology corporations, the appropriation of “sustainable AI,” the use of AI in border and migration processes, and the democratic risks of large language models. Studying these four components provides a comprehensive picture of the political and social risks and opportunities arising from the increasing use of AI.

The project combines technical insights with research in democratic theory. It develops a normative framework to define the responsible use of AI within a democratic constitutional state. Through the publication of academic articles, a final conference, public explainer videos, and a policy guide, the project’s findings will be shared broadly with the public. In doing so, it aims to create a practical guide for value-based and democratically governed AI development in Germany.