Exploring Digital Spheres

The internet is currently built of more than 60.000 autonomous systems. Without connectivity among those, the internet simply doesn't exist. Associated HIIG researcher Uta Meier-Hahn looks in her research at the question, how network operators, such as Netflix, Youtube and Deutsche Telekom jointly provide internet connectivity. Since they constantly have to negotiate whether to cooperate or compete with each other, a very particular form of connectivity economics exists.

In this episode, Wouter goes on a journey into the very depth of the internet. Together with Uta Meier-Hahn, they explore the architecture of the internet and the objects traded among operators. Also learn about "the networkers", a closely-knit community of internet engineers around the globe who work for "the good of the net".

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Ein automatischer Staubsauger überfährt eine Katze. Ist der Hersteller oder der Besitzer Schuld? Luhmann-Schüler und Systemtheoretiker Dirk Baecker meint: Vielleicht einfach die Katze? Mit Thomas C. Bächle spricht Dirk Baecker über „Künstliche Intelligenz“ und wie wir die derzeitigen Entwicklungen aus systemtheoretischer Sicht verstehen können. Schlussendlich geht es um die Frage, was Intelligenz überhaupt ist und was die systemtheoretische Forschung leisten kann.

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This week its the General Data Protection Regulation's (GDPR) first anniversary. Wouter speaks with HIIG-researcher and data protection expert Max von Grafenstein on the difficulties of data protection and his research on the innovation potential of the GDPR.

Follow this exciting episode on how Max – once a film maker – became a lawyer specialised on data protection and the GDPR. If you like the conversation, please rate us on iTunes.

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Online advertisement companies have been using statistical models for many years. HIIG researcher Jessica Schmeiss interviews Marcel Pirlich (Adspert) on how exactly the startup uses AI technologies in online marketing and how this results in a successful business model. The episode is part of the "Demystifying AI in Entrepreneurship" project at HIIG.

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"Silicon Savannah", "Africa is rising" – much attention is directed at Africa as a continent of economic opportunity and growth. HIIG researcher Nicolas Friederici stresses that relative to the hype and hope, things are not that easy and we shouldn't limit our focus on how to copy silicon valley models.

Friederici has been doing field research in different African innovation hubs while working for the world bank and the Geonet project of the Oxford Internet Institute and is now researching at the Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG) about digital innovation and entrepreneurship. One of his questions: how does digitalisation of the economy affect people and places at the world's economic margins. In this episode, he spoke with Wouter about what are the local particularities of setting up a tech business in one of the African innovation hubs and what are the problems face on-site.

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"People think it’s inherent of the internet that you lose your privacy, but it’s not, it’s based on the business model of those companies.” – Marleen Stikker speaks about how the fairphone was invented, what fablabs are for and how we eventually should get involved ourselves to decide what to do with disruptive technology. This is an episode for smart citizens!

In this episode:

WAAG: https://waag.org/en/about-us

Fairphone: https://www.fairphone.com/

Fablabs: https://www.fablabs.io/

Smart Citizens Lab: https://waag.org/en/labs/smart-citizens-lab

Germany is at the top of its game researching Artificial Intelligence. Many a digital product launched today is made possible by services developed through German research. But when it comes to actually making a digital product itself, Germany seems to be lacking behind. When did you hear of the last German Facebook, Uber or Amazon? Today’s episode is on the question why Germany tends to find it difficult to make the translation between researching AI and creating a successful AI startup. We’ll be speaking with Jessica Schmeiss, doctoral researcher at the Humboldt Institute. Her research focusses on digital entrepreneurship and in trying to make AI less of a ‘black box’.

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Wie kann dein Selfie noch origineller sein? Der Versuch, immer und überall authentisch und unverwechselbar zu sein, ist keine Modeerscheinung. Das meint zumindest der Soziologe Andreas Reckwitz. Mit HIIG-Forscher Thomas Christian Bächle diskutiert er, wie neben der Standardisierung der modernen Gesellschaft die Einzigartigkeit von Subjekten und Kollektiven im gegenwärtigen Fokus steht.

Über die Theorie der Singularität – die behauptet, dass das Einzigartige in der spätmodernen Gesellschaft dominiert – wurde bereits viel diskutiert. Ob diese Beobachtung nur für die heutige Zeit gilt, welche Rezeption Reckwitz' Werk hervorrief und vor allem, was die Theorie über unsere digitalen Profile aussagt, hat Thomas Christian Bächle aus dem Soziologen gekitzelt. Viel Spaß bei dieser deutschsprachigen Bonus-Folge! Hinterlasst bitte eine Bewertung auf iTunes!

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Christian Djeffal advocates for creative thinking around artificial intelligence in public administration. Djeffal has a background in law and invests his time thinking about sustainable ways for using AI inside of governmental organisations. He believes that AI can help public administrations cut costs and resources, and re-allocate them to be of better service to its citizens.

More on Christian Djeffal

https://negz.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/NEGZ-Kurzstudie-3-KuenstlIntelligenz-20181113-digital.pdf

https://www.berliner-zeitung.de/wissen/berliner-weltverbesserer-er-entwickelt-leitlinien-fuer-kuenstliche-intelligenz-29733484

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY-_mhMye6E

https://verfassungsblog.de/harnessing-artificial-intelligence-the-european-way/

Often we don't see the same content on the internet as others do. Content moderation is responsible for the way we scroll through social media and consume videos on the web. This raises crucial questions: What is good content? Should algorithms do all the moderation for us? How do we decide what should be deleted? For example, what is hate speech, and what is terrorist content? Are there ways to structure content moderation differently, while still maintaining democratic values?

Julia Krüger, an editor for Netzpolitik.org and assistant to a German member of parliament, is deeply convinced that we need to create alternative moderation schemes to uphold liberal values. Together with HIIG-researcher Amélie Heldt, she discusses the different methods of moderation, the role of AI yet to come, and what she personally hopes for.

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In the episode are the following references:

The coral project (by Mozilla)

The EU Internet Forum (EU presse release)

Alphabet Jigsaw (website)

Get to know Amélie Heldt (on youtube)

Julia Krüger on Twitter and Netzpolitik