But is it safe?

Hardly a day goes by without us using digital technologies. Our dependence on digital tools, services and infrastructure is growing every day. In recent months, the question of the risks of digital change has gained attention in light of the latest developments in artificial intelligence. Under the title »But is it safe?,« the third edition of the »Digiloglounge« is dedicated to the potential risks of digital transformation for democracy, privacy and autonomy.

Security and transparency in the digital space and the resulting trust are prerequisites for reaping the benefits of digitalization. Security deficits and uncertainty can jeopardize not only economic success, but also social cohesion and democracy. "Digiloglounge Nr°3" therefore focuses on two main topics and examines the impact of digitalization on elections and democratic processes, as well as individual behavior in dealing with artificial intelligence.

»Smile to Vote - Political Physignomy Analytics« (2017-2024), an artistic-scientific research project by Alexander Peterhänsel, confronts visitors with an AI-supported voting system that uses facial recognition to determine political beliefs and automate the voting process. The project addresses the impact of AI-supported biometric scoring methods on democratic processes, self-determination and privacy in the digital age.
With »The Ignorant Voting Machine« (2017-2019), KASTEL, the KIT | Institute of Information Security and Dependability, shows the challenges that arise for general and secret elections if voting is to take place digitally. The cryptographic voting machine offers a secure solution should digital voting methods be introduced in the coming years.
In view of the upcoming US elections, Stephanie Lepp's deep fake video »Deep Reckonings« (2022) remains highly topical. It shows Donald Trump, among others, admitting his lies about the 2020 election. What are the ethical implications of AI-generated content for our understanding of truth?
The interactive installation »TrustAI« (2020) by Bernd Lintermann and Florian Hertweck allows visitors to have a conversation with an avatar and find a personal answer to the question of what makes us trust artificial intelligence, what makes us feel insecure, and what risks we are willing to take.

»Digiloglounge N° 3: But Is It safe?« invites you to explore issues at the intersection of AI, ethics and democracy from an artistic and scientific perspective.