Just published: Conference proceedings: ‘New Digital Public Spheres: AI in the Media – Fascination, Consequences and Responsibility’
“The rapid development of artificial intelligence has, in a very short space of time, swept through all areas of journalism – from research and production right through to distribution,” writes Prof. Jean-Alexander Müller, Rector of HTWK Leipzig, in his foreword to this conference proceedings volume “New Digital Public Spheres. AI in the Media: Fascination, Consequences and Responsibility”.
The volume brings together contributions from academia and professional practice relating to the symposium of the same name held at HTWK Leipzig in September 2025. It demonstrates that AI is no longer merely a future scenario, but is already having a profound impact on everyday journalistic practice, media narratives and public discourse.
Recognising risks, seizing opportunities
Risks lie in the use of Big Tech platforms. As Richard Gutjahr already demonstrated in his keynote address at the conference (see the article ‘Hasta la vista, humanity!’), alternatives are urgently needed. The contributions in this volume examine issues of credibility, accountability and transparency, as well as new forms of community management and journalistic training. In particular, they highlight alternative infrastructures for a digital public sphere with open protocols under democratic control. It becomes clear that AI is not merely a tool, but shapes the way the public sphere is formed and negotiated.
This volume is the third in the ‘New Public Sphere’ conference series at HTWK, organised in collaboration with the European Institute for Quality Journalism.
“Tomorrow’s media professionals are trained at our Faculty of Computer Science and Media,” notes Rector Müller. “Our aim is for them to understand both the opportunities and the risks of these new digital public spheres and to be able to use them responsibly.”
Free download for students and members via the HTWK Leipzig University Library.
Bibliographic details:
Gabriele Hooffacker, Wolfgang Kenntemich, Uwe Kulisch (eds.) 2026: New Digital Public Spheres. AI in the Media: Fascination, Consequences and Responsibility. Springer VS, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-51771-7,
