With the increasing digitalization and artificial intelligence (AI), the relationship between humans, technology and society is undergoing fundamental changes. Social machines, such as robots and voice assistants, simulate human interactions and present ethical and political challenges to democratic societies. The autonomy of these systems raises questions about control, their impact on work, defense, surveillance and political decision-making. Whether current approaches, such as "responsible AI," are sufficient to grasp these developments in democratic contexts remains uncertain.
As part of the Summer School, PhD candidates, MA, and MSc students explored how human self-perception is evolving under technological conditions. Discussions included the relationship between the state and private actors, as well as concrete scenarios of human-technology interaction in fields such as medicine, art and politics. Gabriele Gramelsberger (RWTH Aachen) addressed "Emotion AI," facial recognition, and the ethical implications of emotional tracking. Participants also visited the Social Robot Lab at the University of Bonn and heard from André Cramer (Deutsche Telekom, Bonn) about the use of AI in industry. Other experts examined various aspects of AI's impact on society and democracy.
