Digitale Infrastrukturen in der Demokratie

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https://www.weizenbaum-library.de/handle/id/310

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    Facing disinformation in democratic backsliding: the role of courts in Brazil
    (2024) Iglesias Keller, Clara; Werneck Arguelhes, Diego
    This paper examines how democratic institutions respond to disinformation when it is weaponized by elected officials for illiberal purposes. It focuses on the role of courts in countering disinformation in Brazil from 2018 to 2022, when the country experienced threats to democracy, marked by the use of disinformation to undermine electoral and judicial checks. In response, Brazil’s High Courts took an array of measures against disinformation, including content removal, social media regulation, and criminal proceedings. While these actions were crucial in promoting democratic resilience, they also raised concerns about judicial aggrandizement and its implications. The paper discusses the tension between the courts’ role in protecting democracy and their institutional limitations as well as the potential impact on the public perception of courts and freedom of expression, of having judges taking the leading role in fighting disinformation.
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    How Do Environmental and Methodological Factors Influence Study Participants’ Answers in Surveys on Risk Perception in the Context of Climate Change and Heat Stress?
    (2025) Holzen, Veronique; Heidenreich, Anna; Thieken, Annegret
    Research on climate change and impacts of natural hazards, such as heat waves, on human health has increased in recent years. Various approaches are used to study people’s attitudes and actions in this context, but little is known about the extent to which different modes or other environmental variables influence the results. Therefore, we ex- amined differences between surveys in three German cities, compared survey modes and investigated the influence of the temperature on the day of the survey and the previous days. We conducted two surveys on the topics of climate change risk perception and heat risk perception. In summer and autumn of 2019, in total 1,417 people from the three medium-sized German cities of Potsdam, Remscheid and Würzburg were surveyed via telephone or online. In sum- mer of 2020, 280 people were surveyed face-to-face in public parks in Potsdam. Climate change risk perception, the perception of heat waves as a health threat and the knowledge of heat warnings differed depending on place of resi- dence, survey mode and temperature. Participants of the online survey showed higher scores of risk perception than participants of the telephone and face-to-face surveys, indicating a self-selection bias. Increased temperature was associated with slightly higher levels of respondents’ heat wave risk perception and, among participants surveyed outside, climate change risk perception. The finding that both survey mode and environmental factors can influence survey results should be heeded when planning or interpreting and comparing studies.
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    Uncertain Journeys into Digital Futures: Inter- and Transdisciplinary Research for Mitigating Wicked Societal and Environmental Problems
    (Nomos, 2025) Kox, Thomas; Ullrich, André; Zech, Herbert
    The Weizenbaum Institute organised its sixth Annual Conference on the topic of “Uncertain journeys into digital futures” in Berlin in June 2024. The conference focused on the challenge of the digital transformation and the socio-ecological transformation of society which are closely interlinked and crucial for prospering futures of humanity. Challenges include the protection of people, democratic institutions and the environment, as well as enabling participation in shaping changes and an inclusive and fair life. Relevant topics for addressing these challenges are smart cities and urban transformation, digital technologies for sustainability, social justice, governance and citizen participation as well as ideas and visions of the future.
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    Uncertain futures of work: The perception of generative AI in knowledge professions
    (Nomos, 2025) Butollo, Florian; Haase, Jennifer; Katzinski, Ann-Kathrin; Krüger, Anne K.; Kox, Thomas; Ullrich, André; Zech, Herbert
    The application of generative AI (GenAI) tools has led to widespread speculation about the implications of technological change for the future of cognitive work. This article provides insights on how the use of GenAI affects work practices in the fields of IT programming, science and coaching based on expert interviews and a quantitative survey among users of GenAI. Specifically, we ask about perceptions on skills, creativity, and authenticity, which we regard as key qualities of cognitive work. Contrary to widespread expectations that AI use would hollow out or substitute aspects of cognitive work, we find that there is a strong awareness for the meaning of the professional core in each field. We conclude that the use of AI provokes reflections about the meaning of human work in operating AI tools adequately and taking on responsibility for their results, thereby rather reinforcing its relevance.
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    Shaping uncertain journeys into digital futures - perspectives on the digital and socio-ecological transformation
    (Nomos, 2025) Ullrich, André; Kox, Thomas; Zech, Herbert; Kox, Thomas; Ullrich, André; Zech, Herbert