CAIS for Journalists
Artificial intelligence, educational technologies, smart cities, and digital voting …
CAIS researches how digital technologies are changing social life.
We will find the right contact persons for your digitalization topic.
How can people gain trust in AI? How can digital technologies improve learning and teaching? Who owns the data in the smart city?
Our researchers provide scientific evidence and context for current debates in the digital society – from digital democratic innovations, AI in education, and trustworthy AI to questions of social cohesion in digital communication spaces.
We are happy to answer your questions, arrange interviews with experts, and assist you with photo and film shoots.
We can help you:
Paula Weitz
Officer for science communication and press relations
paula.weitz@cais-research.de
Phone: +49 (0)234 9531 5046
Mobile: +49 (0)157 8500 1399
via Bluesky
Esther Laukötter
Officer for science communication and press relations
Phone: +49 (0)234 9531 5026
esther.laukoetter@cais-research.de
via Bluesky
Straight to …
Our Scientific Expertise
Digital Voting, Smart Cities, and Living Labs
Digital voting · Online voting · Smart cities · Technical innovations · Political participation · Living labs
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Expert:
Prof. Dr. Christoph Bieber, Professor of Political Science
Key Question:
How are political decision-making and social participation changing in the context of digitalization?
Thematic Focus Points:
- Development and use of online voting and elections
- Political and social effects of smart city projects
- Real-world laboratories as urban testing grounds
Want to know more? Click here.
Learning and Teaching With Educational Technologies
Digital learning · Educational technologies · AI in the classroom · Teaching and learning research · Academic writing · Digital learning environments
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Expert:
Prof. Dr. Nikol Rummel, Professor of Educational Psychology and Educational Technology
Key Questions:
How can digitalization be used positively in an educational context? How can learners be supported by intelligent systems?
Thematic Focus Points:
- Design and technical implementation of digital learning environments
- Challenges and opportunities of teaching in digital environments
Want to know more? Click here.
Trust in AI Through Understanding and Co-creation
Trust in AI · Human-computer interaction · Explainability · Social media · Co-creation · Misinformation · Disinformation
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Expert:
Prof. Dr. Hendrik Heuer, Professor of Computer Science
Key Question:
How can artificial intelligence be designed in such a way that people trust it?
Thematic Focus Points:
- Development and technical implementation of trustworthy AI systems
- Testing AI solutions together with users
- Promoting understanding and control in dealing with AI
- Delivering measures against misinformation and disinformation
Want to know more? Click here.
Political Communication and Opinion Formation Online
Public opinion formation · Polarization · Fragmentation · Disinformation · Misinformation · Digital public discourse · Computational perspectives · Segmentation of public discourse spaces
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Experts:
Prof. Dr. Christiane Eilders, Professor of Communication Studies
Prof. Tim A. Majchrzak, Professor of Computer Science
Key Questions:
How do young people come into contact with news and political communication, and what role do social media play in opinion formation?
Thematic Focus Points:
- Use of news and political communication in digital environments
- Influence of misinformation and disinformation on public opinion formation
- Technological framework conditions for constructive discussions and overcoming polarization
- Examination of the division of digital public discourse spaces and effects on political opinion formation and expression
Want to know more? Click here.
Responsible, Transparent, and Interdisciplinary Research With Digital Data and Methods
Digital and social media · Information behavior · Digital trace data · Computer-assisted methods · Open science · Metascience · Data literacy · Research ethics
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Expert:
Prof. Dr. Johannes Breuer, Professor of Digital Social Sciences
Key Question:
How can responsible, transparent, and interdisciplinary research with digital data and methods be designed?
Thematic Focus Points:
- Use and analysis of digital trace data to investigate social phenomena
- Development and reflection on computer-assisted research designs
- Promotion of data literacy and open science practices
- Ethical issues and responsibility in dealing with digital research data
Want to know more? Click here.
Digital Media, Media Literacy, and Prevention
Digital media · Media literacy · Ethics · Extremism prevention · Science communication
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Expert:
Dr. Josephine B. Schmitt, communication scientist and media psychologist
Key Questions:
How do social media shape our thoughts, feelings, and actions, and how can responsible use of digital platforms be promoted?
Thematic Focus Points:
- Psychological and social effects of social media use
- Ethical design of digital media offerings and prevention of problematic dynamics
- Influence of extremist communication and ways to counteract it
A Brief Introduction to CAIS
Key Facts
- What? Digitalization research
- Founded? 2017 as a non-profit limited liability company and research college
- Milestone: Institutional funding by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia since April 2021 as a central research institute
- Research programs:
- Digital democratic innovations
- Educational technologies and artificial intelligence
- Design of trustworthy artificial intelligence
- Transformation of Digital Democratic Discourses
Press Releases
CAIS in the Media
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You can sign up for our press mailing list and newsletter here.
Press Mailing List
Stay up to date: If you don’t want to miss any of our press releases, please ask our press officer Esther Laukötter to add you to our press mailing list. You can find more information on data protection and how to revoke your consent here.
Newsletter
Would you like to receive information about the research activities of the CAIS? Simply subscribe to our newsletter and receive regular updates on projects, events, and calls for proposals.
CAIS in Pictures
Here you can download printable portraits and other images. If you have any questions about their use, please contact Paula Weitz. You can find more impressions here.
Prof. Dr. Christiane Eilders, Wissenschaftliche Direktorin des CAIS (Foto: CAIS, Michael Schwettmann)
Prof. Dr. Tim A. Majchrzak, Wissenschaftlicher Direktor des CAIS (Foto: CAIS, Martin Steffen)
Michael Paul, Geschäftsführer des CAIS (Foto: CAIS, Martin Steffen)
Prof. Dr. Christoph Bieber, Forschungsprogramm “Digitale demokratische Innovationen” (Foto: CAIS, Michael Schwettmann)
Prof. Dr. Nikol Rummel, Forschungsprogramm “Bildungstechnologien & Künstliche Intelligenz” (Foto: RUB, Damian Gorczany)
Prof. Dr. Hendrik Heuer, Forschungsprogramm “Design vertrauenswürdiger Künstlicher Intelligenz” (Foto: CAIS, Martin Steffen)
Joesphine B. Schmitt, Leitung der Stabstelle der wissenschaftlichen Leitung (Foto: CAIS, Michael Schwettmann)
Institut (Foto: CAIS)
CAIS Schriftzug (Foto: CAIS, Claudia Jaquet)
Prof. Michael Baurmann, Senior Advisor und Gründungsdirektor (Foto: CAIS)
Q&A: Insights Into Our Research
What are we researching?
We examine all facets of digital transformation and test our research findings in practice.
Our research covers the social, political, economic, cultural, and technical changes associated with digitalization. We investigate cross-disciplinary issues that cannot be researched in isolation. In our research programs, we interlink different disciplines, from the social sciences and humanities to computer science. This holistic socio-technical approach encompasses both basic research and application-oriented questions. We use the results of our research in real-world laboratories together with actors from different areas of society to find exemplary solutions to concrete problems.
Who conducts research at CAIS?
We are a team of experienced and young researchers from various disciplines who engage in intensive exchange with citizens and experts from the field.
Two scientific directors from the social sciences and computer science lead the research at CAIS. Professors from various disciplines coordinate the interdisciplinary research programs. Another professor heads the Research Data & Methods (RDM) department. CAIS’s own programs for promoting young talent support young researchers in their professional development. Our science communication team organizes dialogue with social groups and the public.
External research excellence is integrated through associated researchers and visiting scholars. We also initiate research partnerships and joint projects with partners from universities and other research institutions.
Research activities of our international fellows
How can smart shower heads reduce water consumption? How are municipalities in the US using data analysis to combat the coronavirus pandemic? Do online activities harm mental and physical health?
Our international fellows conduct research on digitalization topics from a wide variety of perspectives. Find a suitable research project here.
Stay Informed:
Social Media, Podcast & Events
Connected with CAIS
Follow us on Bluesky, LinkedIn, and Instagram to get the latest insights into our research on the digital society. There, we share research findings and background information and invite you to join the discussion on pressing issues of our time.
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Science to Hear and Think About
What kind of digital society do we want to live in? In our podcast, you can hear first-hand research stories. We don’t just discuss results, we also make the path to them transparent. Together with our experts, we shed light on digital phenomena from different perspectives.
To the Podcast
Upcoming Events
Language Machines – Towards a Philosophy of AI
But What Does News Have to Do with Me? – Designing Human–News Interaction with Working-Class Youth through AI-Assisted Sense-Making
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