We interact with digital technologies in an increasing number of areas of society every day. Much has been written and published to ensure that ethical considerations play a crucial role in their design and use. However, the risks to society such algorithms pose often remain unaddressed in practice. Moreover, digital technologies are developed almost exclusively for economic purposes and with efficiency in mind, leaving their potential for common-good applications largely untapped.
These observations highlight the need for new approaches. Engaging in ethical discourse alone is no longer sufficient. We are therefore committed to formulating concepts and solutions for the concrete and binding implementation of ethical principles in practice. We examine relevant trends and challenges in technology development within a broader context, questioning the market power and interpretive authority of a few influential actors.
Given these challenges, certain actors bear a particular responsibility. This includes policymakers at the German-national and European levels who establish relevant regulatory frameworks, as well as public administration employees who increasingly use AI systems in their work and must supervise them. In the future, organizations and companies dedicated to common-good-oriented missions will also play a crucial role. Our work focuses on the following three groups in particular:
Our work provides policymakers concrete suggestions for implementing AI regulation in the German context. We emphasize shaping policies that align with user interests and incorporate civil society voices. We publish insights to guide the user-oriented application of European AI legislation in Germany.
We offer public administration employes practical guidance for building competencies We develop accessible resources for all levels of administration to raise awareness of the risks and opportunities of digital technologies and to help identify and strengthen their own competencies and potential areas for development.
We support organizations and companies that use digital technologies for common-good missions by ensuring their voices are heard in securing the sustainability of our social welfare state. We provide an overview of developments in the field of generative AI and contextualize them from a common-good perspective. Additionally, we advocate for the strengthening of public digital infrastructures.
