the term “Corona-Pandemie” (coronavirus pandemic) has officially been named word of the year – that is according to the Gesellschaft für deutsche Sprache (Society for the German Language), which announced its decision at the end of November. The choice hardly came as a surprise this year, as the virus has changed and impacted our private and working lives in ways previously unimaginable. Since the crisis began, millions of people have been working from home. Online retail and digital platforms that organise food deliveries, tradespeople’s services, and text creation have been booming. Meanwhile, we all communicate and collaborate virtually as if it were entirely natural, in spite of the occasional technical challenges. Looking back, an event such as the launch of the AI Observatory in early March of this year, which saw 300 guests from the areas of politics, science, and society hold discussions with each other at Café Moskau, seems a relict of a different time.

This central project forming part of the Federal Government Artificial Intelligence (AI) strategy, which we are working this year to update together with the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), is a milestone in the activities of the Policy Lab. Here, it is analysed how AI is being used and what impact it has on different areas of life. The basis for this is, among other things, the development of a set of indicators that make the extent and application of AI technologies and their effects able to be measured in future. Furthermore, the observatory is concerned with examining what form certification of AI in the context of social technology design could take and is conducting analyses on human/technology interaction.

The focus of our work this year, however, was not only on analysing AI, but also supporting AI providing benefits for the common good. In addition to testing AI applications in company’s learning and experimentation rooms, which the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS) supported widely this year too, the Policy Lab developed a concept to comprehensively support and accompany social innovations based on AI. This is because, up to now, the resources necessary for innovation processes in the area of social technology design have only been made available with limited access. To support good concepts for AI applications from the idea to developing the concept right through to implementing and transferring it, we launched the Civic Innovation Platform in September. We are looking forward to evaluating the submissions for its first idea contest, and hope that many innovative projects will result in the new year.

Not only for us, designing the digital working world to be fair and just has never been more relevant than it was this year,. On the national, European and international level, the subjects of a potential design framework for artificial intelligence and the growing significance of platform work were debated intensively.

BMAS made these core concerns of the Policy Lab focal points of the German presidency of the EU Council. In June, the Federal Government communicated an official stance with respect to the contents of the European Commission’s White Paper on Artificial Intelligence and put forward its position on approaching artificial intelligence going forward. Their policy brief, which the Policy Lab was involved in drafting, emphasised that a confident European approach to AI is necessary. This includes an effective concept for a European regulatory framework such as that already applied successfully in product safety. Along with the many advantages of the digital transformation, the groundwork for pragmatic answers to the challenges posed by these new technologies now has to be laid on the European level as well.

A regulatory framework for new forms of work in the platform economy is a further component of this. Ensuring fair work and basic protection of rights with regard to labour law and social law in the digital economy too – that is the aim of the BMAS white paper on fair work in the platform economy published in December. The Policy Lab has observed and analysed the development of the platform economy in recent years on behalf of BMAS. Based on intense engagement with all stakeholders, it then elaborated corresponding proposals for BMAS.

Data protection requirements, too, are changing in an increasingly technology-driven working world: where information is concerned, an appropriate balance has to be found between the interests of the employer and those of the employee and their privacy. Following a mandate established in the coalition agreement, the Policy Lab has therefore convened an interdisciplinary employee data protection advisory committee. Chaired by former Federal Minister of Justice Prof. Herta Däubler-Gmelin, it is examining the extent to which it is necessary to update employee data protection regulations.

A vital focus of action for the Policy Lab has always been strategic foresight. This year, examining the possible consequences of the pandemic for the working world was to the fore. As the year draws to an end, we are now beginning the process of strategically looking ahead to what work and society might be like in 2040. To begin with, we will be developing scenarios that explore the possible evolution of work and society in 2040 in the digital context. With the aid of visions of the future from citizens, stakeholders and experts, the intention is to, among other things, create a map of plausible futures that reflect possible topics and areas of tension in work and society in the future. Be sure to learn more about our strategic foresight into the year 2040 here soon.

If the digital working world is to function well and safely for everyone, it requires mutual dialogue and intensive networking – both in analogue and digital terms. On that note, we look forward to seeing you again next year and wish you a pleasant and restful festive period!

The Policy Lab team