In their article in the German journal “Künstliche Intelligenz und Recht (Artificial Intelligence and Law)” Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Schulz and Moritz Wiechert analyze the first German case law on automatically generated content. In doing so, they highlight the fundamental challenges facing traditional freedom of expression law in the age of AI.
English Abstract
From search suggestions and automated rating systems to the outputs of generative language models, content is created without a human being shaping its specific form or even being aware of it. This article analyzes the first German case law on automatically generated content and shows that the courts interpret this content according to traditional standards of freedom of expression. At the same time, the liability regime is shifting, in legal theory, from responsibility for content to duties of safeguarding and monitoring—the operator is not liable for the specific statement itself, but for enabling it. The decisions thus implicitly assume that technical systems are capable of communicative action. In light of the widespread adoption of generative AI, freedom of expression faces fundamental questions: Are the categories of opinion, expression, and endorsement—as well as the protected interests of personality rights tailored to human communication—still adequate?
Schulz, Wolfgang; Wiechert, Moritz (2026): Äußerungsrecht im KI-Zeitalter. Analyse der ersten Rechtsprechung zu automatisch generierten Inhalten. In: KIR 2026, 223, https://beck-online.beck.de/?vpath=bibdata%2Fzeits%2FKIR%2F2026%2Fcont%2FKIR.2026.223.1.htm (Paywall)