Weizenbaum Discussion Paper

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In den Veröffentlichungen der Weizenbaum Discussion Paper (vormals: Weizenbaum Series) werden Ergebnisse aus der laufenden Forschung des Instituts vorgestellt. Die Schriftreihe ist offen für unterschiedliche Publikationsformate wie Monografien, Technical Reports, Preprints, Arbeitspapiere und viele mehr.

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Agile Methods on the Shop Floor: Towards a "Tesla Production System"?
(Weizenbaum Institute, 2022) Daum, Timo
This discussion paper investigates two questions: To what extend can Tesla be regarded as a digital firm, and do we - as a result - see elements of a distinct "Tesla production system"? While the EV-startup is widely approached as a competing automaker focusing on the electric drive train, which it certainly is, this paper argues that it can only fully be understood as a digital firm - a digital car company with a digital product embedded in a digital ecosystem. Its roots in Silicon Valley, its software-first approach, and its strategic exploitation of user activity data point into this direction. In the second part, this paper explores to what extent Tesla's rootedness in software and its Silicon-Valley ancestry gave reason to introduce methods borrowed from software development on the shop floor. To a certain degree, concepts from agile software development found their way to the very assembly-line at Tesla. Although it might be exaggerated to speak of a distinct "Tesla Production system", indications for a considerable and possibly enduring alteration of Lean Production paradigm can be determined.
Akzeptanz des Einsatzes von Wearables im Betrieb durch Betriebsräte und Beschäftigte
(Weizenbaum Institute, 2024-04-26) Krzywdzinski, Martin; Pfeiffer, Sabine; Ferdinand, Jonas; Yosefov, Or
Wearables (z.B. Datenbrillen und Smartwatches) sind ein besonders sichtbares, aber auch umstrittenes Element von Industrie-4.0-Anwendungen. Sie versprechen eine Verbesserung der Arbeitsqualität durch Unterstützung von Beschäftigten, bergen zugleich aber auch Gefahren der Rationalisierung und vor allem Überwachung von Arbeitsprozessen. In dieser Studie wird untersucht, unter welchen Bedingungen Betriebsräte und Beschäftigte den Einsatz von Wearables im Betrieb akzeptieren. Konzeptionell baut die Analyse auf Forschung über die Rolle von Betriebsräten in Digitalisierungsprozessen sowie dem Technology Acceptance Model auf. Empirisch fußt die Analyse auf 16 qualitativen Fallstudien sowie einer Befragung von 1.046 Erwerbstätigen. Die Studie zeigt Unsicherheiten beim Umgang mit der Wearables-Technologie, aber auch insgesamt erfolgreiche Einflussnahme der Betriebsräte. Ein interessanter Kontrast zeigt sich im Hinblick auf die Wahrnehmung der Betriebsräte und der Beschäftigten. Während einige Betriebsräte die geringe Mobilisierungsfähigkeit von Beschäftigten für Datenschutzfragen beklagen, bewerten die befragten Beschäftigten den Datenschutz als Bedingung für die Akzeptanz von Wearables deutlich höher als den Nutzen für die Arbeit. Potentielle Erklärungen sind das „Privacy Paradox“, aber auch eine Unterschätzung der Potentiale der Datenschutzthematik seitens der Betriebsräte. Wearables (e.g., data glasses and smartwatches) are a particularly visible but also controversial element of Industry 4.0 applications. They promise to improve the quality of work by supporting employees, but at the same time also harbor dangers of rationalization and, above all, surveillance of work processes. This study examines the conditions under which works councils and employees accept the use of wearables in the workplace. Conceptually, the analysis builds on research on the role of works councils in digitalization processes and the Technology Acceptance Model. Empirically, the analysis is based on 16 qualitative case studies and a survey of 1,046 employees. The study shows uncertainties in dealing with wearables technology, but also overall successful influence of works councils. An interesting contrast emerges with regard to the perceptions of works councils and employees. While some works councils complain about the difficulties to mobilize employees around data protection issues, the employees surveyed rate data protection as a condition for accepting wearables significantly higher than the benefits for work. Potential explanations are the “privacy paradox”, but also an underestimation of the potential of the data protection issue on the part of the works councils.
Automation, Digitalization, and Changes in Occupational Structures in the Automobile Industry in Germany, the United States, and Japan. A Brief History from the Early 1990s Until 2018
(Weizenbaum Institute, 2020) Krzywdzinski, Martin
In the current public discussion, it is considered certain that we are living in a time of rapidly advancing automation, which is driven in particular by the use of robots. Accordingly, many academic publications use robot density as the central indicator of automation. The present study challenges this perspective. It examines two central questions: First, what approaches to automation and digitalization have been pursued in the automotive industry in Germany, Japan and the USA? Second, how have employment and its occupational composition in the automotive industry developed in the three countries? The first part of the study focuses on the development of automation and digitalization approaches in the automotive industry from the early 1990s until today. It combines a qualitative analysis of press articles and a quantitative evaluation of the development of the stock of industrial robots from 1993 to 2018 based on the statistics of the International Federation of Robotics. The second part of the study focuses on the change in employment structures using occupational statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (USA), the Federal Employment Agency (Germany) and the Statistics Bureau of Japan. The study questions the perception of an automation-related threat to employment and especially to production employment. At the same time, it discusses developments in Germany, Japan and the USA in comparison and highlights differences in automation and digitalization approaches as well as different paths of change in employment structures.
Conditions to Strengthen Future Cross-Border Journalism
(Weizenbaum Institute, 2020) Heft, Annett
COVID-19 and Platform Work in Germany: Lessons for the New Normal
(Weizenbaum Institute, 2024) Herzog, Lorena; Cooiman, Franziska; Gerber, Christine; Wandjo, David
During the COVID-19 pandemic, when public life was largely brought to a standstill by lockdowns and curfews, the vast presence of last-mile-delivery workers rushing to deliver parcels, grocery shopping or take- away-meals on the streets of German cities came to the fore. Platform-based service provision has become widespread in recent years. The platform economy more than quadrupled in recent years, reaching a size of 14bn EUR in 2020, compared to just 3bn EUR in 2016 (European Council 2023). COVID-19 has created an exceptional situation, both for platforms and platform workers: Platform companies faced unstable economic conditions and government restrictions. Meanwhile, many platform workers, especially in the delivery and mobility sector, were exposed to significant health risks as they ensured the upholding of social reproduction throughout the pandemic. However, public attention for the perils of platform workers has quickly died down again. Today, the platform economy continues to provide sought-after services and constitutes a source of income for a growing number of workers struggling with precarious employment conditions. It is crucial to take stock of the effects of COVID-19 on the platform economy and its workers – both to gain an understanding of the new normal of platform work in the post-pandemic economy and to determine the political changes necessary to shape this new normal in favor of fair and decent working conditions and a resilient economy.
COVID-19’s Impact Upon Labor and Value Chains in the Agrifood Industry: A case study
(Weizenbaum Institute, 2022) Kenney, Martin; Visser, M. Anne; Padilla, Mariah
We explore the impact of automation and digitalization on labor in the US agrifood system during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study considers each of the primary nodes in the system stretching from consumer through grocery stores and restaurants to last-mile delivery, distribution, food processing, farming, and agri-inputs. Not only automation and digitalization, but also the role of platforms such as Amazon, and food delivery firms such as GrubHub, Instacart, and Uber Eats are discussed. For restaurants, we consider not only dine-in restaurants, but also “ghost kitchens”. Furthermore, the possibility that farmers or distributors could disintermediate other nodes and deal directly with consumers is discussed. We conclude that, as a generalization, the further upstream one goes from the consumer, the less immediate and disruptive automation is likely to be for labor. However, our overall conclusion is that, given the current trajectories, labor is becoming increasingly precarious. If the current labor shortages continue, then automation is likely to accelerate. Platformization, while rampant in the relationships with final consumers, is likely to be less rapidly adopted further upstream where relationships are B-to-B and thus composed of actors that are wary of sharing data.
Das Öffnen und Teilen von Daten qualitativer Forschung
(Weizenbaum Institute, 2020) Steinhardt, Isabel; Fischer, Caroline; Heimstädt, Maximilian; Hirsbrunner, Simon David; İkiz-Akıncı, Dilek; Kressin, Lisa; Kretzer, Susanne; Möllenkamp, Andreas; Porzelt, Maike; Rahal, Rima-Maria; Schimmler, Sonja; Wilke, René; Wünsche, Hannes
Data and Digital Platforms in Industry: Implication for enterprises strategies and governance
(Weizenbaum Institute, 2021) Butollo, Florian; Schneidemesser, Lea
This article explores the position of industrial internet platforms (IIP) in manufacturing value chains. We develop an understanding of the role of data in global value chains (GVCs), referring to literature on intangible assets and theories on platform business models. We use data from a qualitative empirical study based on 45 interviews on platforms active on the German market to answer (1) whether there are tendencies of oligopolization that lead to an accumulation of power on the side of the platforms, and (2) whether it is the platforms that capture most of the gains derived from higher productivity or lower transaction costs. The analysis shows that platforms mainly act as service providers and/or intermediaries that support manufacturing companies in reaping benefits from data. While the relationship between platforms and manufacturers currently corresponds to a symbiosis, a stronger power imbalance could evolve in the future since processes of oligopolization are likely.
Data Governance Act Proposal
(Weizenbaum Institute, 2021) Neuberger, Christoph; Friesike, Sascha; Krzywdzinski, Martin; Eiermann, Karin-Irene; Stocker, Volker; Schawe, Nadine; Efroni, Zohar; von Hagen, Prisca; Völzmann, Lisa; Müller, Ferdinand
This Position Paper contains statements drafted by several Research Groups at the Weizenbaum Institute concerning the Data Governance Act (DGA) Proposal. Each statement is followed by a short explanation. The purpose of this Paper is to highlight a number of important aspects of the DGA Proposal and stimulate the debate around it with a special emphasis on the part that concerns regulation of data sharing services (Chapter III, DGA Proposal). The Paper touches upon a number of selected matters without the ambition to cover all the important issues the DGA legislation raises. The statements address the potential risks in creating a centralized architecture for data intermediaries, the problem of imposing a duty on data sharing services to offer data on a non-discriminatory basis, the role and expertise supervision authorities will need to assume and exercise and questions regarding the interface between the anticipated DGA and existing data protection law in the EU. The Paper includes a number of specific recommendations regarding the formulation of several DGA provisions, specifically in connection with its intersection points with the GDPR.
Deglobalization, Reconfiguration, or Business as Usual? COVID-19 and the limits of reshoring of globalized production
(Weizenbaum Institute, 2022) Butollo, Florian; Staritz, Cornelia
The COVID-19 pandemic has seemingly reinforced the need for geographic restructuring and a rehoring of production, as it has demonstrated the vulnerability of globalized production. This article provides an assessment of the impact of COVID-19 on the geographies of production, looking particularly at developments in the automotive, electronics, and clothing industries. Criticizing overly simplified prospects for deglobalization, we argue that the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be interpreted as a trigger for a general retreat from global manufacturing but rather as an event that is reinforcing long-standing shifts toward more multipolar production and consumption. While the issue of global production network resilience has attracted great attention in corporate strategies and industrial policies, re- or nearshoring of production networks is only one of several strategies and it has hardly been implemented so far. Ongoing disruptions and, above all, geoeconomically/-politically and environmentally motivated policies could well lead to a shift in investment and sourcing patterns. Political efforts in this direction are, however, limited by pre-existing global economic development paths and the balance of power associated with them.
Die Regulierung Künstlicher Intelligenz - Neuer Rechtsrahmen für Algorithmische Entscheidungssysteme?
(Weizenbaum Institute, 2020) Müller, Ferdinand; Schüßler, Martin; Kirchner, Elsa
Die Symbiose von generativer KI und Arbeit
(Weizenbaum Institute, 2024) Butollo, Florian; Gerber, Christine; Görnemann, Esther; Greminger, Lea; Katzinski, Ann; Kulla, Marlene; Sirman-Winkler, Mareike; Spott, Justus
Die Verbreitung von generativen KI-Anwendungen (GKI) in der Arbeitswelt führt zu weitläufigen Spekulationen über die Zukunft der Arbeit. In diesem Policy Brief formulieren wir auf Grundlage theoretischer Überlegungen und erster empirischer Eindrücke Thesen über das Verhältnis von GKI und Arbeit, die zugleich als Hypothesen des Forschungsprojekts GENKIA dienen, in denen wir die Veränderungen von Arbeit in Programmierung, Journalismus, Marketing, Personalmanagement und öffentlicher Verwaltung empirisch untersuchen. Die Thesen lauten: (1) Trotz technischer Durchbrüche stellt GKI kein Äquivalent zu menschlicher Intelligenz dar; (2) GKI wird durch menschliche Arbeit nutzbar; (3) GKI stellt eine neue Qualität der Interaktion zwischen Mensch und Maschine dar; (4) Die Einführung von GKI macht Arbeit; (5) Generative KI erfordert neue Antworten im Sinne guter Arbeit.
"Digital Taylorism"? Data Practices and Governance in the Enterprise Software Salesforce
(Weizenbaum Institute, 2020) Nyckel, Eva-Maria
This paper provides an investigation of the economy of the enterprise software Salesforce. The investigation looks at epistemologically distinct practices inscribed in enterprise software and challenges the notion of “digital Taylorism” by looking closer at current as well as historical practices of process management. While Taylor’s systematic approach involved a combination of distributed practices, Salesforce is an enterprise software platform that connects these practices digitally. Rather than examining the role of workers, the paper focuses particularly on the media techniques of Taylorism and the technologies in contemporary working environments that render organizational structures and courses of action available for algorithmic governance. Thereby, the paper seeks to contribute an additional theorization for organization studies and media theory. The mediated practices are conceptualized in four categories that allow for a contrast of Taylor’s approach with contemporary process management practices. In addition to an analysis of Taylor’s original texts and a document analysis of Salesforce whitepapers, this paper also presents empirical insights. The paper aims to shed light on the relation between techniques involved in Taylorist process management and governing modes of the enterprise software Salesforce.
Digitalisierung der Arbeitswelt in und nach der COVID-19-Krise: Thesen und Handlungsempfehlungen
(Weizenbaum Institute, 2021) Butollo, Florian; Flemming, Jana; Wandjo, David; Gerber, Christine; Krzywdzinski, Martin
Es gibt Anhaltspunkte dafür, dass die durch die COVID-19-Pandemie ausgelöste Krise zu strukturellen Veränderungen der Arbeitswelt geführt hat, die in engem Zusammenhang mit Digitalisierungsprozessen stehen. Einige Veränderungen sind in industriellen Produktionsprozessen, der mobilen Arbeit und auch der Plattformarbeit zu erwarten. Damit solche Veränderungen sich positiv auf die Arbeitswelt auswirken ist politische Gestaltung gefragt. Beobachtbar ist, dass einige Unternehmen ihre Digitalstrategien überdenken, teils forcieren und vermehrt mit neuen Möglichkeiten experimentieren. Hier ist es notwendig, Betriebsrät_innen und Beschäftigte frühzeitig in die Gestaltung neuer Ansätze einzubinden. Am offensichtlichsten hat sich die Arbeitswelt in der Krise durch die digitale Kommunikation im virtuellen Raum verändert. Menschen die bereits im Homeoffice arbeiten, sind jedoch verschiedenen Schwierigkeiten ausgesetzt. Virulent sind Fragen der Geschlechtergerechtigkeit, die Vermischung von beruflichem und privaten, sowie die Ausstattung des häuslichen Arbeitsplatzes. Aufgrund der Erschütterung der regulären Arbeitsmärkte nahm auch über digitale Plattformen vermittelte Arbeit zu. Die prekären Arbeitsbedingungen der Plattformarbeiter_innen haben sich während der Pandemie noch zugespitzt, gleichzeitig ist international aber eine politische Regulierung der Plattformarbeit in Sicht, die inzwischen auch in Deutschland in Ansätzen stattfindet.
Digitalisierung und die Pandemie – aus der Krise lernen
(Weizenbaum Institute, 2024-04) Gerber, Christine; Cooiman, Franziska; Butollo, Florian; Krzywdzinski, Martin; Wandjo, David; Danyeli, Matthias; Delicat, Nina; Herzog, Lorena
Die vorliegende Studie skizziert, welche Technologien und Anwendungen im Zuge der Pandemie in Unternehmen an Bedeutung gewonnen haben und welche Ressourcen ihnen bei der Digitalisierung zugutekamen. Die Befunde basieren auf 34 qualitativen Fallstudien in sechs Sektoren (Maschinenbau, Logistik, Automobil, Chemie, Finanzen, Gesundheit) sowie einer quantitativen Befragung von 540 Betrieben. Die Pandemie hat v.a. die Virtualisierung von Kommunikation und Interaktion in Betrieben vorangetrieben. Auf Automatisierungsprozesse hatte die Pandemie wenig unmittelbaren Einfluss. Zugleich zeigen die Befunde, dass Digitalisierungsprozesse in komplexen und sozialen Kontexten verortet sind und vielfältige Ressourcen (technisch, organisatorisch, finanziell) und Bedingungen (Unternehmenskultur, regulatorische Rahmenbedingungen) benötigen. Vielmehr als einen allgemeinen Digitalisierungsschub verstärkte sich die Kluft zwischen Digitalisierungsvorreiter\*innen und -nachzügler\*innen. Abschließend formuliert die Studie Handlungsempfehlungen an Politik und Sozialpartner\*innen.
Federated Blockchain Systems: A better trade-off between sustainability and decentralization?
(Weizenbaum Institute, 2022) Florian, Martin
Blockchain-based systems are enjoying unbroken popularity. Different economic and social actors are investigating their application for fostering decentralization and separation of power. Whether a blockchain-based system can live up to such goals is heavily determined by the choice of a consensus protocol – the rules by which participants agree on what gets added to the blockchain. Bitcoin’s consensus protocol is inherently decentralization-enabling, at a notoriously high ecological cost. So-called permissioned protocols, while incomparably more efficient, are dismissed as being closed-off and "centralized". Federated blockchain systems represent a middle ground between these two extremes and promise to offer openness and security without sacrificing ecological sustainability. As a rough approximation, their approach can be described as bootstrapping consensus from a web of trust. In this overview article, after a short review of the Bitcoin approach and possible alternatives to it, we introduce the ideas behind federated blockchain systems and discuss their impact on future blockchain systems.
Foundations of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
(Weizenbaum Institute, 2022) Früh, Alfred; Haux, Dario
Today, artificial intelligence and machine learning play a crucial role in various fields of application. In one way or another, they influence our everyday lives. This current state of affairs and the suggestive power of these terms have triggered fundamental discussions in society. However, the technical basics have not received the attention they deserve – and need. This is especially true from a legal perspective, where groundwork on both the fundamental functionality as well as all the relevant terms surrounding the technology seems to be almost non-existent. This paper aims to fill this gap. We examine the technical background of artificial intelligence and machine learning from an interdisciplinary perspective and aim to develop common definitions that can be used for further research in legal academia. These findings provide a common starting point for a more differentiated treatment of legal (and technical) questions surrounding artificial intelligence and machine learning and allow legal academia to make reliable legal statements as well as to advance legal research in this field.
Gaps and Opportunities: The Rudimentary Protection to ‘Data-Paying Consumers’ under New EU Consumer Protection Law
(Weizenbaum Institute, 2020) Efroni, Zohar
Generative AI and the Future of Work: Augmentation or Automation?
(Weizenbaum Institute, 2024) Zysman, John; Nitzberg, Mark
This report examines the potential impact of Generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems, such as ChatGPT, on the future of work and, by implication, on productivity. It argues that although Generative AI is powerful, it has significant limitations and risks that require humans to remain “in the loop” not only to prevent systems from going off the rails, but to capture value. Rather than taking a deterministic view that artificial intelligence (AI) will inevitably destroy jobs, the article suggests that an analysis should start with how firms can strategically deploy these tools to gain an advantage. It asks whether “augmentation” or “simplistic automation” lies ahead. Our objective is to move beyond hype and despair. The existing digital infrastructure has enabled AI to be adopted quickly. However, projections based solely on automating existing tasks fail to capture the complex reorganizations that are likely to happen. Firms in sectors such as professional services, materials, and pharmaceuticals seem to have particular exposure to the use of Generative AI tools. Adaptations will vary across contexts and depend greatly on who controls the decisions about deployment. Maintaining the centrality of humans is likely to prove crucial—in training systems, curating data, and assessing outputs. One question is which business strategies and public policies encourage that engagement and make it possible. Although AI regulation debates matter, promoting social prosperity depends heavily on directly shaping the trajectory of the development and use of AI. This requires influencing the constraints and the incentives that firms face, as well as the strategic mindsets of decision makers. Which groups are engaged in the discussions and debates is of vital importance. The article recommends that, beyond the traditional policy proposals, an independent public-interest consultancy needs to be established in order to design creative business strategies that augment workers in a manner that will support, rather than hinder, social prosperity. Ultimately, avoiding a dystopian scenario might hinge on fostering new norms in which human capabilities remain essential.
How Right-Wing Alternative News Sites in the U.S. Depict Antifa
(Weizenbaum Institute, 2020) Knüpfer, Curd

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