Hub AI and society

Artificial Intelligence is a key technology that can help us solve major societal challenges such as climate change, energy supply, healthcare, education or logistics. AI can solve specific problems more effectively by supporting us in decision-making, automating solutions and thus scaling them, or discovering completely new solutions. But the use of AI also poses new risks, for example when it comes to surveillance or questions of social justice.

What is our society doing with AI – and what is AI doing to our society? We shed light on this question in our AI and Society Content Hub.

AI and society

Aug 23, 2025Aug 23, 2025

Google downplays AI's environmental impact in new study

AI and society

Aug 17, 2025Aug 17, 2025

Meta's human-like chatbot personas can mislead users and result in real-world harm

AI and society

May 6, 2025May 10, 2025

US think tank warns of "reverse brain drain" in China's AI sector

AI and society

Jul 2, 2024Jul 2, 2024

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YouTube now allows users to request the removal of AI-generated content that simulates their face or voice. The change allows affected individuals to request the removal of this kind of AI-generated content as a privacy violation under YouTube's privacy request process. When deciding whether to remove AI-generated content, YouTube considers whether the content is labeled as synthetic or AI-generated, whether it uniquely identifies a person, and whether the content could be considered parody, satire, or something else of value and public interest. YouTube warns its users that removal means the video is completely taken down from the site and that simply labeling it as AI content does not necessarily protect it from removal. YouTube gives the uploader 48 hours to respond to the complaint.

YouTube

AI and society

Jun 30, 2024Jun 30, 2024

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Microsoft founder Bill Gates is not worried about the rising electricity consumption caused by AI applications. Speaking at an event in London, Gates said that AI will ultimately help reduce energy consumption and accelerate the transition to sustainable energy sources. According to Gates, data centers would only cause an additional 6 percent of electricity consumption in the worst case, but more likely just 2 to 2.5 percent. "The question is, will AI accelerate a more than 6 percent reduction? And the answer is: certainly," he said. Gates also believes that the increasing demand for electricity will lead to new investments in green energy, as technology companies are willing to pay more for green electricity "to say that they're using green energy." However, studies by Goldman Sachs and the Electric Power Research Institute predict that data centers could account for up to 9 percent of U.S. electricity consumption by 2030. Critics worry that the AI boom could increase the use of fossil fuels.

The Register

AI and society

Jun 30, 2024Jun 30, 2024

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The EU Commission is looking into a possible antitrust probe into the partnership between Microsoft and OpenAI after dropping a merger review. EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said on Friday: "The key question was whether Microsoft had acquired control on a lasting basis over OpenAI. After a thorough review we concluded that such was not the case. So we are closing this chapter, but the story is not over." The European Commission investigated whether Microsoft's multi-billion dollar investment in OpenAI falls under the EU merger control regulation. According to Vestager, the EU is now investigating whether "certain exclusivity clauses" in the contract between Microsoft and OpenAI "could have a negative effect on competitors." The US and UK are also investigating the Microsoft-OpenAI alliance. The Commission has also announced that it will investigate Google's agreement with Samsung to pre-install Gemini on the company's smartphones.

Financial Times