Will we work only a few hours a week one day because robots and algorithms do most of our work for us? How will digitalisation change our interactions, political decision-making processes, and geopolitical contexts? Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future. Nevertheless, the contributions to this issue do not limit themselves to the current state of digitalisation, but venture a look into the digital future.

by Gerhard Wahlers

Interjection

Terms such as artificial intelligence and machine learning have triggered a wave of expectations, full of both hopes and fears. Hopes that we are on the brink of finding solutions to the great problems of humanity are tempered by fears, most commonly that of being made redundant. A sober look at the facts.

by Aljoscha Burchardt

Why We Need a Digital Magna Carta or the Age of Intelligent Machines

We stand at a turning point in human history, on the threshold of an unknown digital future. A powerful new technology, artificial intelligence (AI), permeates every area of our lives, largely thanks to advances in neural networks, modelled loosely on the human brain. Our societies and economies have become increasingly dependent on the use of artificial intelligence. A new set of rules is needed in order to ensure that freedom, inclusion and growth are safeguarded in the future. In other words, we need a digital Magna Carta for the age of cognitive machines.

by Olaf Groth, Mark Nitzberg, Mark Esposito

How Digitalisation Changes Political Decision-Making

In 2010, the internet was thought to be an instrument of global democratisation. But with the onset of the “Arab winter”, that hope has given way to severe disappointment. Now, the internet is even blamed for the increasing populism. An attempt at a sober assessment.

by Torben Stephan

How Social Media Are Changing Political Discourse in Kenya

In many regions of the world, the ideal of the internet as an instrument of political freedom has not been fulfilled. Instead, the internet is increasingly used as a means of maintaining power for the elites. In many African states, and especially in Kenya, this conflict has not yet been resolved. Here, the youth, who make up the majority of the population, have a good chance of creating a freer, fairer society via the internet. But without well thought-out support, they are unlikely to succeed.

by Jan Cernicky, Antonie Maria Hutter

Japanese Ambitions and Initiatives

Facing pressing challenges in demography, politics and society, Japan seeks salvation in a digital future. All aspects of life shall be interconnected to make life easier. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his government are determined to turn this idea into reality soon.

by Franz Waldenberger

Digitalisation, Energy Policy, and Innovation Capacity From an Asian Perspective

What influence do digitalisation processes have on the use of energy and raw materials? What innovation dynamics result from the potential, still far from exhausted, of these developments? And what influence does all this have on the geoeconomic and geopolitical interrelationships in the international system? This article addresses these questions from an Asian perspective.

by Peter Hefele

The Potential of Blockchain Technology, Using the Example of Latin America

Today, blockchain technology (BT) has already claimed a prominent position in the sphere of digitalisation. It is becoming increasingly clear that it has countless potential applications, that extend far beyond the Bitcoin digital currency. Eventually, it might even be a safe alternative to weak state institutions, particularly in emerging and developing countries.

by Christian Hübner

The Independence Referendum, the Fall of Kirkuk and the Effect on Kurdish and Iraqi Politics

Even before the official defeat of the so-called Islamic State (IS) in Iraq, the Kurdish independence referendum has brought the country on the brink of yet another civil war and has fundamentally changed the political situation in the country. Iraq’s new reality necessitates a shift in German Iraq policy, including an adjustment of the Federal Republic’s military contribution to the country.

by Nils Wörmer, Lucas Lamberty

The EU-Jordan Compact in Practice

The 2016 Supporting Syria and the Region Conference in London heralded a decisive paradigm shift in European development cooperation in the midst of the Syrian refugee crisis. In the process, not only were new sources of finance mobilised, but development policy focus was also shifted to long-term strengthening of initial host country resilience. In light of the EU-Jordan Compact, this article shows the extent to which the promising approach of a Compact has proven itself in practice.

by Manuel Schubert, Imke Haase