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AI-Generated Deepfakes: What Does Legal Scholarship Say?

Cover Digitalgespräche Episode 74 feat. Viktoria Kraetzig

Suddenly seeing your own face look lifelike in images depicting fictional situations, or hearing your own voice say things you’ve never actually said: This idea is unsettling. With generative AI, it’s now incredibly easy to create deceptively realistic media content that places real people in fictional contexts. In the public sphere, malicious deepfakes in particular have attracted a great deal of attention, as there is widespread outrage over the misuse of generative AI: the term “deepfakes” is associated with fraud, manipulation of the public, and pornographic or intimate depictions created without the consent of the people depicted. Of course, the same technology can also be used for comparatively harmless purposes: In art and culture, artists are experimenting with these new possibilities, protected by artistic freedom and taking particular delight in what deviates from the real and the expected—and is not intended to be “fake” in the sense of deception. And in the fast-paced, economically driven production of visual and audio materials for advertising or in the entertainment industry, AI technologies not only save time and enable new workflows but also open up a potential market for personality traits that serve as the basis for AI-generated content—even beyond the deaths of the people whose appearances this content mimics. Do these cases pose a challenge for the law and the justice system?

Viktoria Kraetzig is a private lecturer in civil law, business law, and information law at Goethe University Frankfurt am Main; as a legal scholar, she focuses extensively on issues related to copyright and media law, among other topics. In this Digitalgespräch, the expert explains how the legal profession approaches the phenomenon of “deepfakes” and whether existing legal tools are sufficient to contain the threat they pose. She describes which legal interests are affected by the debate surrounding deepfake technologies and which issues remain contentious among legal scholars. Together with hosts Marlene Görger and Petra Gehring, Kraetzig discusses how the new AI-generated images differ from previous examples in advertising or satire, what role taste and personal tolerance thresholds play—and why law enforcement in digital spaces is reaching its limits.

Episode 74: Digitalgespräch with Viktoria Kraetzig of the Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, 27th of January 2026
Further Information:

To a report about the Verdict of the Landgericht Berlin on the immitation of a Dub-voice using AI at heise online: https://www.heise.de/news/Persoenlichkeitsrecht-Synchronstimme-ist-vor-KI-Nachahmung-geschuetzt-10623565.html

To a report about the Hirschhausen-Verdict on the Website of the WDR: https://presse.wdr.de/plounge/wdr/unternehmen/2025/03/20250328_hirschhausen_urteil.html

To Viktoria Kraetzigs Profile on the Website of the Goethe-Universität: https://www.jura.uni-frankfurt.de/122384174/ContentPage_122384174

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Social Media in Higher Education Communication and the Phase-Out of X

Cover Digitalgespräch Episode 73 feat. Patrick Honecker

Ever since 60 German-speaking universities jointly announced their withdrawal from Social Network X in early 2025, it has been official: For academic institutions, engaging with social media requires constant evaluation and reflection on the goals and self-concept through which social media is integrated into universities’ communication strategies. These platforms offer quick access to potentially broad audiences and direct interaction with a wide variety of target groups; they enable personalized forms of presentation, create a sense of approachability, and highlight the diversity of topics that universities champion. Of course, we are well aware of the much-discussed negative aspects of social media—from hate speech and online backlashes to misrepresentations and algorithms that reward emotionalism over objectivity. Not only does all of this seem particularly at odds with the standards of good science communication, but it also discourages researchers from presenting their work in unprofessional environments and exposing themselves to personal hostility. As long as social media remains an indispensable communication channel for science as well, university communication will continue to navigate this tension.

Dr. Patrick Honecker is Chief Communication Officer (CCO) at the Technical University of Darmstadt. In this Digitalgespräch, the expert in science communication and communication strategy discusses the importance of social media for public relations at universities as well as for internal communication, and how science-specific practices and rules interact with the dynamics of social media. Together with hosts Marlene Görger and Petra Gehring, Honecker discusses how academic institutions can respond to problematic effects within and caused by social media—and what consequences the use of AI in public relations might have, including on social media.

Episode 73: Digitalgespräch with Patrick Honecker of the TU Darmstadt, 9th of December 2025

Further Information:

To the Website of the Scicomm-Support, which advises scientists, who are exposed to digital attacks in science communication: https://scicomm-support.de/

To the Social Media-Netiquette of the TU Darmstadt: https://download.hrz.tu-darmstadt.de/media/DezIF/Netiquette-TU-Darmstadt.pdf

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The Execution of the AI Act – What are the effects of the new Regulation?

Cover Digitalgespräch Episode 72

The EU’s AI Regulation, or “AI Act,” will gradually come into effect starting in early 2025 and already regulates the development and use of AI systems intended for use in Europe. With this comprehensive set of regulations, lawmakers are facing a major challenge. The impact of AI technologies, which are driving massive transformations across national borders, is to be managed through democratic processes to the extent that major risks can be identified and avoided. This approach takes into account that AI is a constantly evolving field and cannot be viewed or assessed in isolation from its context of application. In practice, this also means that both developers and users of AI systems must adapt to new obligations and learn not only to use AI systems appropriately but also to assess their risks in specific individual cases. The AI Act also explicitly calls for the development of specific AI literacy among users. It is clear that new regulations always entail new burdens that companies, government agencies, and civil society must now shoulder. The academic community can also contribute to ensuring that this effort succeeds on a broad scale.

Domenik Wendt is a professor of civil law, European business law, and European law at Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences and a recognized expert on AI law and the AI Act in particular. In this Digitalgespräch, he explains the key elements of the AI Act and which ones are already in effect today. He describes how companies and government agencies are preparing to implement the EU’s requirements and what support is available to help them understand the AI Act and comply with it in their own contexts. Together with hosts Marlene Görger and Petra Gehring, Wendt discusses how regulation and capacity-building are intertwined, how it is possible that while the AI Act completely bans certain applications and strictly regulates others, it nevertheless allows more room for innovation and development than some might fear—and whether the AI Act is capable of reducing risks and preventing harm, even in light of the profound societal impacts of AI systems.

Episode 72: Digitalgespräch with Domenik Wendt of the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, 18. November 2025

Weitere Informationen:

To Digitalgespräch Episode 48 “The EU’s AI Act: How it came about and how it regulates AI” with Domenik Wendt : https://zevedi.de/en/digitalgespraech-048-domenik-wendt-2/

To the AI-Service Desk of the Bundesnetzagentur: https://www.bundesnetzagentur.de/DE/Fachthemen/Digitales/KI/start_ki.html

To the Information Sheet „KI-Kompetenzen nach Artikel 4 KI-Verordnung“ of the Bundesnetzagentur: https://www.bundesnetzagentur.de/DE/Fachthemen/Digitales/KI/_functions/Hinweispapier.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=2

To the Paper „KI-Kompetenzanforderungen nach Art. 4 AI Act. – Juristische Analyse und praxisorientierte Maßnahmen“ in collaboration with the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences: https://zenodo.org/records/17407983

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What is known about “Internet addiction”?

Das Coverbild des Digitalgespräch-Podcasts. Folge 66 mit Anja Bischof

It’s not unusual to be online all day. Many aspects of our daily lives—from communication to shopping and signing contracts, to entertainment and gathering information—naturally take place on the internet, often even on a single device: the smartphone, which seems to combine an endless array of apps and possibilities. We’ve grown accustomed to the constant availability of digital services, and if they’re unexpectedly unavailable, it can be frustrating and trigger stress, discomfort, or nervousness—and in the case of so-called “Internet use disorders,” even genuine withdrawal symptoms in some people. There are apparently elements of the digital world that can be addictive, much like we know it to be with substances. But not every teenager who spends hours scrolling through social media, and not every adult who regularly spends the entire weekend playing online games, has a problem severe enough to be classified as a disorder—even if some studies or newspaper reports seem to conflate excessive internet use with addictive behavior. There is a form of normalcy associated with constant internet use that, at least from an addiction perspective, isn’t problematic: The significant amount of time we sometimes spend online for work, school, college, or vocational training isn’t even taken into account when determining whether we’re “internet-addicted.” So what do experts look for when assessing an internet use disorder? What are the warning signs that an addiction might be developing? And how can online addiction be treated, given that abstinence “from the internet” is no longer even an option in our digital society?

Dr. Anja Bischof is a health scientist and works at the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the University of Lübeck in the “Addiction” research group, where her work focuses, among other things, on behavioral addictions. As a member of the executive board of the German Society for Addiction Research and Therapy (DG-Sucht), she was involved in the development of guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of internet use disorders. In this Digitalgespräch, the expert explains when an addiction is present, how to identify it, and why it is important to develop clear criteria for this. She describes how addictive behavior arises in the digital realm, what risk factors exist, and what precautions can be taken to protect oneself or one’s loved ones. Together with hosts Marlene Görger and Petra Gehring, Bischof discusses where responsibilities lie—particularly regarding the protection of children and adolescents—whether we run the risk, in the case of internet use disorders, of pathologizing new norms or normalizing harmful behavior—and what research can do to help avoid both.

Episode 66: Digitalgespräch with Anja Bischof of the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Lübeck, 24th of June 2025

Further Information:

Link to the S1-Leitlinie „Diagnostik und Therapie von Internetnutzungsstörungen“: https://register.awmf.org/de/leitlinien/detail/076-011

Link to the Website „Erste Hilfe Internetsucht“: https://www.erstehilfe-internetsucht.de/

Link to the Website „Diagnostik von Internetnutzungsstörungen. Tools und Tipps zu Screening, Diagnostik & Intervention“: http://dia-net.com/

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What are AI real-world labs, and what do they do?

Cover Digitalgespräch Episode 71

With the AI Act, European lawmakers are attempting a difficult balancing act: On the one hand, effective regulation is needed for high-risk, emerging technologies that are already having significant societal impacts today. On the other hand, Europe should participate in the opportunities presented by these very technological developments—in other words, it should not simply slow them down, but rather shape them. AI real-world labs, or “AI sandboxes,” are intended to be one tool for this regulatory promotion of innovation: They are designed as special testing environments for AI products nearing market readiness, as a regulatory point of contact and source of support for companies and startups—and also as learning environments for the supervisory authorities, which must adapt their administrative processes to the nebulous concept of “AI.” The goal is to learn, both within and through the real-world lab, how to design AI applications in a way that meets the safety requirements of the AI Act, as well as how to intelligently incorporate the relevant testing criteria into administrative processes. This is no easy task for the EU member states, which do not have much time left to implement their first “AI sandboxes”: By August 2, 2026, these new types of regulatory bodies must at least formally exist and be operational.

Johannes Buchheim is a professor of public law and the law of digitalization at Philipps University of Marburg. In this Digitalgespräch, the expert on administrative law and legal frameworks in the digital society explains the role that AI real-world labs play in implementing the AI Act and what measures the EU is requiring its member states to take in this regard. He describes what forms of AI real-world labs might be conceivable for various specific technologies, who is involved in developing these public institutions, and what policymakers hope to achieve through them. Together with hosts Marlene Görger and Petra Gehring, Buchheim discusses what ideas, expectations, and fears might be at play among the stakeholders involved; how the framework conditions for AI real-world labs align with the competitive requirements of commercial enterprises; whether—and if so, under what conditions—participation in real-world labs is attractive to AI developers —and how transparency and disclosure requirements must be used to foster a critical public discourse in order to democratically legitimize this form of government-funded testing of potentially high-risk technologies.

Episode 71: Digitalgespräch with Johannes Buchheim of the Philipps-University Marburg, 28th of October 2025

Further Information:

To Informations about AI Real-World Labs on the Website of the Bundesnetzagentur: https://www.bundesnetzagentur.de/DE/Fachthemen/Digitales/KI/5_Innovationen/start.html

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Digitalized Bicycles: What Are the Latest Developments?

Cover Digitalgespräch Episode 70 feat. Rainer de Mey

E-bikes are a key element of the transportation transition and, especially for many commuters, a real alternative to cars. Of course, e-bikes are significantly more expensive to purchase than a traditional bicycle. So it’s no wonder that the first digital application for e-bikes was designed to prevent theft. But with motion and sensor data, there’s much more that can be done with bicycles—even those without motors. In principle, all kinds of parameters can be measured—both those of the vehicle and those of the rider—and in an increasingly digital environment, the bike can also be viewed as a connected device within the Internet of Things. Automation in road traffic is a key concept here. Furthermore, beyond their utility for individual comfort—assuming sufficient personal enthusiasm for digital tools and gadgets—meaningful data from bicycle traffic is also of great value for transportation planning on the one hand, and the development of innovative business models on the other.

Rainer de Mey is Chief Digital Officer at e-bike manufacturer Riese & Müller, a company with expertise in digitalization for cycling. In this digital discussion, the expert describes which digital applications are available for bicycles today, how the needs of very diverse groups of cyclists are evolving, what data is collected for digital cycling, and how and by whom it can be used. De Mey explains the limitations small and medium-sized enterprises face in terms of digital development, and what needs might be expected in the future. Together with hosts Marlene Görger and Petra Gehring, de Mey also discusses where digitalization makes sense for bicycles and where it’s more of a gimmick, what will be needed to use bicycle data for urban planning and traffic safety—and whether the completely non-digital bicycle will soon be left behind.

Episode 70: Digitalgespräch with Rainer de Mey of Riese & Müller, 7th of October 2025

Further Information:

To the website of the LOEWE Focus DyNaMo of Kassel University: https://www.uni-kassel.de/forschung/dynamo.html

To the website of the Data-portal „Radverkehr in Deutschland“, through which a spin-off of the Technical University of Dresden provides traffic data from the STADTRADELN campaigns: https://www.radverkehr-in-deutschland.de

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The podcast is in German. At the moment there is no English version or transcript available.

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What is known about “Internet addiction”?

Das Coverbild des Digitalgespräch-Podcasts. Folge 66 mit Anja Bischof

It’s not unusual to be online all day. Many aspects of our daily lives—from communication, shopping, and signing contracts to entertainment and gathering information—naturally take place on the internet, often even on a single device: the smartphone, which seems to combine an endless array of applications and possibilities. We’ve grown accustomed to the constant availability of digital services, and if they’re unexpectedly unavailable, it can be frustrating and trigger stress, discomfort, or nervousness—and in the case of so-called “Internet use disorders,” even genuine withdrawal symptoms in some people. There are apparently elements of the digital world that can be addictive, much like we know it to be with substances. But not every teenager who spends hours scrolling through social media, and not every adult who regularly spends the entire weekend playing online games, has a problem severe enough to be classified as a disorder—even if some studies or newspaper reports seem to conflate excessive internet use with addictive behavior. There is a normal level of constant internet use that, at least from an addiction perspective, isn’t problematic: The significant amount of time we sometimes spend online for work, school, college, or vocational training isn’t even taken into account when answering the question of whether we are “internet-addicted”. So what do experts look for when assessing an internet use disorder? What are the warning signs that an addiction might be developing? And how can online addictions be treated, given that abstinence “from the internet” is no longer an option in our digital society?

Dr. Anja Bischof is a health scientist and works at the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the University of Lübeck in the “Addiction” research group, where her work focuses, among other things, on behavioral addictions. As a member of the executive board of the German Society for Addiction Research and Therapy (DG-Sucht), she was involved in developing guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of internet use disorders. In this Digitalgespräch, the expert explains when an addiction is present, how to identify it, and why it is important to develop clear criteria for this. She describes how addictive behavior arises in the digital realm, what risk factors exist, and what precautions can be taken to protect oneself or one’s loved ones. Together with hosts Marlene Görger and Petra Gehring, Bischof discusses where responsibilities lie—particularly regarding the protection of children and adolescents—whether we run the risk, in the case of internet use disorders, of pathologizing new norms or normalizing harmful behavior—and what research can do to help avoid both.

Episode 66: Digitalgespräch with Anja Bischof from the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Lübeck, 24th of June 2025

Further Information:

Link to the S1 Guideline “Diagnostik und Therapie von Internetnutzungsstörungen”: https://register.awmf.org/de/leitlinien/detail/076-011

Link to the website „Erste Hilfe Internetsucht“: https://www.erstehilfe-internetsucht.de/

Link to the website „Diagnostik von Internetnutzungsstörungen. Tools und Tipps zu Screening, Diagnostik & Intervention“: http://dia-net.com/

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Knowledge, Responsibility, Efficiency: The Medical Profession Under the Influence of “Artificial Intelligence”

Das Coverbild des Digitalgespräch-Podcasts. Folge 65 mit Oswald Hasselmann

What we generally refer to as “artificial intelligence” in everyday life has many modes of operation and fields of application. A wide variety of AI systems have also been used routinely in medicine for a long time. They support medical professionals in taking medical histories and making diagnoses, or in the operating room, by supplementing the individual expertise and experience of human experts with statistical analyses and—based on these—recommendations for action. Doctors can use these various sources of information to address the specific needs of their patients individually and provide them with the best possible care. Today, however, it is not only AI products developed specifically for everyday medical practice that play a role; AI systems are also available to patients—mostly in the form of chatbots that simulate human communication and thus reinforce the impression that one is dealing with a system that is “intelligent” in the human sense and can also be consulted regarding medical issues. The hype surrounding these systems has created high expectations regarding medical care: Can “AI”—which is beginning to replace staff in so many other areas and promises increased efficiency—also be a solution to the shortage of medical professionals?

Dr. Oswald Hasselmann is a specialist in pediatrics and adolescent medicine with a focus on neurology; he is a member of the management team at the Eastern Switzerland Children’s Hospital and president of the Swiss Society for Biomedical Ethics. In this Digitalgespräch, the expert on ethical values in the medical professions explains where popular systems like ChatGPT appear in everyday medical practice, how medical AI products are used, what new forms of knowledge are emerging as a result, and how realistic the expectations are that the medical community, policymakers, and patients have for these technologies. Together with hosts Petra Gehring and Marlene Görger, Hasselmann discusses the implications of the normalization of AI use for the competence and responsibility of medical professionals, which new aspects should therefore be incorporated into medical education and continuing education—and whether we must give up the privacy of our health data to support the use of commercial AI products in medical care.

Episode 65 of Digitalgespräch with Oswald Hasselmann of the Swiss Society for Biomedical Ethics,
3rd of June 2025

Further Information:


To the webseite of the Swiss Society for Biomedical Ethics: https://www.bioethics.ch/sgbe/

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Lessons and Insights from the Cyberattack on the University of Giessen

Cover Digitalgespräch Folge 69 feat. Matthias Stenke

Cyberattacks are now commonplace, and defending against them—as well as constantly adapting IT systems to address new security vulnerabilities—has become part of daily life in IT departments both large and small. Among the largest of these are university computer centers, which must manage a widely distributed network comprising numerous departments and locations. The fact that historically evolved university structures sometimes involve very different requirements and conditions does not exactly make the task of providing reliable, secure, and user-friendly services to thousands of staff members and tens of thousands of students at all times any easier. Justus Liebig University Giessen learned the hard way just how severely cyberattacks can impact university operations when, in December 2019, it became the first German university to fall victim to a ransomware attack. Since then, awareness of the importance of IT security in public institutions has grown, and universities are devoting increasing attention and resources to this issue. What exactly happened back then? What impact did the attack have on the university, and what lessons were learned from it?

Matthias Stenke serves as deputy director and head of operations for IT security at Justus Liebig University Giessen, and also heads the university’s Enterprise Architecture Management unit. In this Digitalgespräch, the IT security expert provides a first-hand account of how the hacking attack on JLU Giessen unfolded in December 2019, what strategy the attackers pursued, how those in charge and supporters responded, and how the university managed to emerge stronger from this crisis despite the enormous extent of the damage. Together with hosts Marlene Görger and Petra Gehring, Stenke discusses the role that solidarity and effective communication played in this process, and why IT security at universities is not just a matter for experts—but, in light of increasing threats, requires all members to do their part.

Episode 69: Digitalgespräch feat. Matthias Stenke from the Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, 16. September 2025

Further Information:

To the mentioned article „#JLUoffline. Der Cyber-Angriff auf die Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen im Dezember 2019“ in the ABI Technik: https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/abitech-2022-0005/html?lang=de

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Digital Tools and Archeology

Cover Digitalgespräch Episode 68

Digitality is a multifaceted phenomenon in archaeology. Digital tools and analytical methods open up new possibilities for discovering, examining, and documenting cultural heritage. The data collected in this process enables research questions that would have been virtually unthinkable using analog methods and without big data and AI—but the sheer volume of options available to researchers also calls for reflection: in some cases, restrictions are necessary to make well-reasoned decisions not to collect certain data. And standards must be established within the community. The effects of digital archaeology are also visible to the outside world: digital twins of ancient artifacts and sites are being created, vividly conveying what scientists are discovering about past cultures. And where the loss of original cultural artifacts is imminent—for example, due to large-scale construction projects, environmental disasters, wars, or terrorism—the methods of digital archaeology can at least preserve knowledge of these artifacts through digital documentation. Last but not least, archaeological research is also challenged by media discontinuities in the digital age: Early digital storage media, on which large quantities of archaeological findings are documented—and which were anything but suitable for long-term archiving—must be cataloged, and the information archived on them must be integrated into newly emerging data systems and archives. A complex task that the field is only slowly beginning to address.

Friederike Fless is a professor of classical archaeology at Freie Universität Berlin and served for many years as the spokesperson for the TOPOI Cluster of Excellence on the Ancient World. Since 2011, she has been president of the German Archaeological Institute (DAI). In this Digitalgespräch, the expert explains the purposes for which archaeology uses digital tools, how they are developed, and how workflows are changing as a result. Fless describes how modern excavations are organized, explains the process behind cultural heritage rescue missions—such as those in Syria—and provides insight into international collaboration. Together with hosts Marlene Görger and Petra Gehring, Fless discusses why dealing with the possibilities and limitations of digital data collection on a daily basis requires bold pragmatism in light of the transience of cultural heritage; which new trends are becoming important for the digital presentation and communication of ancient cultures; how academia should address the problem of “alternative facts” circulating online regarding archaeological topics —and what questions regarding data sovereignty and ownership arise in the context of digital cultural heritage documentation on an international scale.

Episode 68: Digitalgespräch feat. Friederike Fless of the Freie Universität Berlin and the Deutschen Archäologischen Institut (DAI), 5. August 2025

Further Information:

To the webseite of the „KulturGutRetter“ project: https://www.kulturgutretter.org/
To the webseite of the Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts: https://www.dainst.org/

all episodes of Digitalgespräch

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The podcast is in German. At the moment there is no English version or transcript available.