Societal, Economic, Ethical and Legal Challenges of the Digital Revolution

In the wake of the digital revolution we will see a dramatic transformation of our economy and societal institutions. While the benefits of this transformation can be massive, there are also tremendous risks. The fundaments of autonomous decision-making, human dignity, and democracy are shaking. After the automation of production processes and vehicle operation, the automation of society is next. This is moving us to a crossroads: we must decide between a society in which the actions are determined in a top-down way and then implemented by coercion or manipulative technologies or a society, in which decisions are taken in a free and participatory way. Modern information and communication systems enable both, but the latter has economic and strategic benefits.