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Digital platforms have become central arenas of international conflict. In contemporary wars and geopolitical crises, social media function not only as channels of communication but also as strategic tools—for mobilization, propaganda, and escalation.

Artificial intelligence is fundamentally transforming these dynamics. Algorithmic systems shape visibility, amplify specific narratives, and enable new forms of digital influence.

In the second Short Talk of the series Democracy Between Freedom and the Algorithm, Anita Gohdes and Katja Weber discuss how AI and platform logics are shaping modern conflicts. What role do digital infrastructures play in war? How do they transform processes of violence? And how can democratic societies ensure security without placing further pressure on civil liberties?

A conversation about war, technology, and the growing vulnerability of democratic orders

Please note that the event will be held in German.

Participants

Anita Gohdes

Anita Gohdes is Professor of International and Cyber Security at the Hertie School in Berlin. She works at the intersection of international security and technology, and is the author of the book “Repression in the Digital Age: Surveillance, Censorship, and the Dynamics of State Violence”, published with Oxford University Press. Previously, she was Assistant Professor of International Relations at the University of Zurich and Postdoctoral Research Fellow with the International Security Programme at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center. Since 2009, she has worked for the California-based non-profit organisation Human Rights Data Analysis Group. She has advised the German Federal Foreign Office and has consulted for the World Bank and the United Nations on security and state fragility. Her work has appeared in the American Journal of Political Science, Journal of Politics,­­­ Journal of Peace Research, Journal of Conflict Resolution, and Nature Human Behavior, among others.

Katja Weber

Katja Weber hosts programs on Rundfunk Berlin‑Brandenburg (rbb) stations radiodrei and radioeins, as well as on Deutschlandradio’s Deutschlandfunk Nova. She also moderates discussions, public events, and podcasts on topics such as digitalization, society, and education.

Partner

Organised by the SCRIPTS Cluster of Excellence at the Humboldt Lab, this event is supported by Humboldt University of Berlin.

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