This year's "The Political Book" prize from the Friedrich Ebert Foundation goes to Prof. Dr. Rainer Mühlhoff from Osnabrück University for his book "Artificial Intelligence and the New Fascism". The award ceremony will take place on May 21, 2026 in Berlin.
According to the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Rainer Mühlhoff's book "Künstliche Intelligenz und der neue Faschismus" (Reclam, 2025) provides a well-founded, pointed and comprehensible introduction to the ideological, political and ethical dimensions of artificial intelligence.
The jury justified its decision as follows: "[...] Mühlhoff is particularly convincing in working out how so-called 'tech ideologies' [...] create a quasi-religious narrative of salvation around AI. These narratives, which are based on the idea of superior rational progress, conceal the real social damage that digital technologies are already causing today: Data misuse, surveillance, loss of private control and economic exploitation. His criticism is directed against the techno-utopian discourse of large technology companies and against political actors who unthinkingly accept their promises. He shows how uncontrolled AI development undermines democratic institutions and erodes legal norms."
"I am delighted to receive this award from the Friedrich Ebert Foundation," says Prof. Dr. Rainer Mühlhoff. He sees his book as a contribution to an urgently needed social debate on how anti-democratic tendencies in the interplay between the tech industry and authoritarian politics can be averted. "If it helps to warn of the threat to our constitutional state and to shape the debate on artificial intelligence more responsibly, it will have served its purpose."
The "Das politische Buch" prize is awarded annually by the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung for an outstanding new publication that critically examines current socio-political issues, provides thought-provoking and debate-provoking impulses and makes its content understandable to a broad audience. It is endowed with € 10,000. The decision is made by an independent jury.
Further information for the media:
Prof. Dr. Rainer Mühlhoff, Osnabrück University
Institute of Cognitive Science
