On July 1st, Megan Shahi, director of Technology Policy at American Progress, inspired a lively discussion at the BurgGymnasium in Kaiserslautern following her presentation on the challenges and opportunities of digitalized political discourse. Shahi’s background includes both the public and private sectors, ranging from working as a political appointee of former U.S. President Barak Obama to working for Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, which has allowed her key insight to regulating technology companies and the necessity to do so. The challenges arising from the spread of mis- and disinformation are apparent, but AI has since presented more nuance on how to balance both the risks and the opportunities. Shahi presented a three-part solution on how to address the lack of transparency in technology companies, particularly surrounding algorithmic ranking: Regulation, Platform Commitment, User and Voter Engagement.

The approximate 90 students posed challenging question that fostered a robust discussion such as how social media could change over the next ten years (especially if TikTok is banned), where to find reliable sources, whether people know the impact of social media on there lives, and how social media has exacerbated political differences. The students were eager to hear Megan Shahi’s perspective and are now equipped to recognize mis-and disinformation, particularly during this election year. 

The event was made possible by the Aspen Institute Germany, the U.S. Embassy Berlin and the Verbund Deutsch-Amerikanischer Zentren as part of the U.S. Election Speaker Series. We are especially grateful to Michael Weis, teacher at the BurgGymnasium, for supporting this program. 

Report by: Charlotte Davis