Digital Transformation

The rise of social media has heralded multiple challenges and adverse societal effects that are linked to the way in which content on social media platforms is moderated, leading up to debates across countries on ways to address these adverse effects by means of regulation.

AI in the context of international conflict is more likely to be associated with lethal autonomous weapons (LAWS) on the battlefield. Hiding on the other side of that coin are, however, rewarding questions regarding AI’s possible contribution to peace.

The Dutch government has made a significant commitment to reducing CO2 emissions in the Netherlands by 49% by 2030, as compared to 1990 levels. In the Dutch context, the promotion of sustainable mobility would be instrumental in achieving the country’s climate goals, given that the transport sector is one of the Netherlands’ largest sources of CO2 emissions, especially in urban areas. 

In a growing number of fields, AI systems show better performance rates than humans and their potential in various applications is immense. AI systems however, inevitably cause and will continue to cause damage. This Explainer provides an overview of the debate on how society should treat damage caused by these systems.

A conversation with Dr. Ulrike Klinger about political communication, the transformation of digital public spheres, local communication and the challenges to democracy in the digital age.

Social media platforms have significantly changed the ways in which political campaigns are run, due to their tremendous effect on how we form opinions and attitudes, as well as on our choice as to whether to become politically involved. This Spotlight focuses on the digital campaigns that accompanied the general elections for the 24th Knesset on March 2021.

A conversation with Ori Kol, Co-Founder of the Israeli disinformation watchdog FakeReporter, about social media, democracy and the dynamics of public discourse in the digital age in Israel, and beyond.

Many experts are concerned that the curation of content on social media platforms limit our chances of encountering challenging viewpoints. Filter bubbles and digital echo chambers are therefore seen as one of the main causes of polarization and radicalization online. 

Targeted advertising is at the core of the business model of platforms like YouTube, Twitter or Meta. Since the US election in 2016, followed by the Cambridge Analytica scandal and Brexit, targeted advertising has become the subject of a broadening debate in society and is discussed more critically than in previous years.

This backgrounder aims to provide a more nuanced understanding of how digital media are shaping democracy and what might be done to limit possible avenues of anti-democratic abuse, while kindling their democratic potential.