German media events address AI's impact on democracy

Recent media events in Germany have focused on the impact of artificial intelligence on democracy, journalism, and digital sovereignty. At the fifth Medien Triennale Südwest in Kaiserslautern, experts from science, politics, and industry discussed how to strengthen democratic resilience in Europe amidst the rise of AI.

A key finding from the upcoming 2026 JIM study highlighted growing uncertainty among youth, with 61 percent of young people feeling unsettled by increasing AI content on social media and questioning the reality of what they see. Rhineland-Palatinate Prime Minister Gordon Schnieder emphasized that digital sovereignty is essential for a free democracy.

Simultaneously, the b° future journalism festival in Bonn is set to address trust in the age of algorithms. Scheduled for early October, the festival features hundreds of participants and over 200 events aimed at exploring the role of journalism in supporting democracy and ensuring reliable information in an AI-driven landscape.