Five future trends and how we can shape them: Series of articles for the Bertelsmann Foundation

Under the title Five future trends and how we can shape them, Professor Thiel - together with Kai Unzicker and Susanne Kailitz - has written five essay-like overview articles on the development of various digital technologies and their impact on democratic processes for the Bertelsmann Foundation's "Upgrade Democracy" project. Specifically, the following developments were analysed:

Part 1: Generative artificial intelligence and political decision-making (20.03)
Part 2: Analytical artificial intelligence and representation(27.03)
Part 3: Digital identity and civil rights (03.04)
Part 4: Virtual worlds and participation (10.04)
Part 5: Digital infrastructure and sovereignty (17.04)

The articles each briefly and hopefully in a generally understandable way address what social changes can be expected in the context of the spread and normalisation of technological possibilities and then discuss how this will affect the established structures and concepts in liberal democracies. Finally, some further reading is provided. The articles will hopefully help to provide a good introduction to the topic in question and somewhat reduce the breathlessness and (frequent) under-complexity of the effects of technological change.