Under the title "AI and democracy: rule of law, participation,
sustainability", Prof. Dr. Rainer Mühlhoff's team is investigating the
interactions between the global AI industry and democratic institutions. The research project will run until the end of 2026 and is funded with around € 360,000 by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR).

At the heart of the project is the question of how democratic values, participation and justice can be preserved and strengthened in a society increasingly shaped by AI technologies. To this end, four closely interlinked topics are being analyzed: the growth ambitions of multinational technology companies, the appropriation of sustainable AI, the use of AI in border and migration policy and the democratic risks of large language models. "By examining these dimensions in parallel, the aim is to create an overall picture of the political and social opportunities and risks triggered by the increasingly intensive use of AI systems," explains Prof. Mühlhoff.

The researchers combine conceptual and philosophical basic research with a democratic theory perspective. The aim is to develop a normative framework that will enable the responsible use of AI in a constitutional state. In addition to the publication of specialist articles, a conference on the
project topic is planned for September 2026 in cooperation with the
Einstein Center Digital Future (ECDF), Berlin, at which science, politics and
civil society will enter into a dialog. The research results will also be presented at
in the form of publicly accessible explanatory videos and a
practical guide for decision-makers in order to support value-based, democratically controlled AI development in Germany.

Further information for editorial offices:
Prof. Dr. Rainer Mühlhoff, Osnabrück University
Institute of Cognitive Science
 rainer.muehlhoff@uos.de