Publicist Myriam Mikkel talks about technology

Dusseldorf “From a lot of people’s perspective, technology has gotten to where it belongs,” says Meckel, “as a mediator of civilizational disruption.” Technology has never been – positively or negatively – at the center of geopolitics as it is today. A particularly striking example of this is the scandal surrounding the Chinese video platform Tiktok, which the government is suspected of monitoring, says Meckel. Or billionaires using new technologies to prepare for the end of the world.

But the conversation goes beyond bleak scenarios. Mikkel and Mathis also talk about social questions, such as the skepticism of many Germans about new technologies, the digital deficit in politics, and the question of whether artificial intelligence has consciousness. Mikkel believes that this is one of the most complex questions of our time, because human consciousness has not yet been understood.

That’s why we can only speculate: “Maybe there is such a thing as mathematical awareness” that an AI can develop on the basis of its data and its computational and analytical skills, she says. But rather than attributing this competence to a machine, Meckel says, people should first try to “understand themselves a little better and explore their own consciousness.”

The publicist also talks about her history as a reformer, professor, secretary of state and start-up institution, personal crises, and the lessons of her burnout and passion for technology.

Exclusive offer for Handelsblatt Disrupt listeners: test Handelsblatt Premium for 6 weeks for €1 and stay informed of what moves the financial markets. With a bit of luck, you can also win a Kindle e-reader. More information is available here.

Do you have questions, criticism or suggestions? Then join the Handelsblatt Disrupt LinkedIn group and write.

more: The previous episode of Handelsblatt Disrupt can be found here.