{"id":8595,"date":"2026-07-20T14:25:46","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T12:25:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leibniz-hbi.de\/?post_type=hbi-publications&#038;p=8595"},"modified":"2026-07-20T14:25:46","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T12:25:46","slug":"freedom-of-expression-in-the-age-of-ai","status":"publish","type":"hbi-publications","link":"https:\/\/leibniz-hbi.de\/en\/hbi-publications\/freedom-of-expression-in-the-age-of-ai\/","title":{"rendered":"Freedom of Expression in the Age of AI"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In their article in the German journal \u201c<span lang=\"de\">K\u00fcnstliche Intelligenz und Recht<\/span> (Artificial Intelligence and Law)\u201d 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.<\/p>\n<h2><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-8594 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/leibniz-hbi.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/KIR-Artikel-SchulzWiechert-300x193.jpg\" alt=\"Cover der Zeitschrift KIR\" width=\"300\" height=\"193\" srcset=\"https:\/\/leibniz-hbi.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/KIR-Artikel-SchulzWiechert-300x193.jpg 300w, https:\/\/leibniz-hbi.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/KIR-Artikel-SchulzWiechert-768x494.jpg 768w, https:\/\/leibniz-hbi.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/KIR-Artikel-SchulzWiechert.jpg 840w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>English Abstract<\/h2>\n<p>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\u2014the 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\u2014as well as the protected interests of personality rights tailored to human communication\u2014still adequate?<\/p>\n<p>Schulz, Wolfgang; Wiechert, Moritz (2026): <span lang=\"de\">\u00c4u\u00dferungsrecht im KI-Zeitalter.\u00a0Analyse der ersten Rechtsprechung zu automatisch generierten Inhalten.<\/span> In: KIR 2026, 223, <a href=\"https:\/\/beck-online.beck.de\/?vpath=bibdata%2Fzeits%2FKIR%2F2026%2Fcont%2FKIR.2026.223.1.htm\">https:\/\/beck-online.beck.de\/?vpath=bibdata%2Fzeits%2FKIR%2F2026%2Fcont%2FKIR.2026.223.1.htm<\/a> (Paywall)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":2433,"template":"","tags":[],"class_list":["post-8595","hbi-publications","type-hbi-publications","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.9 (Yoast SEO v28.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Freedom of Expression in the Age of AI - Leibniz Institut f\u00fcr Medienforschung | Leibniz Institute for Media Research<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/leibniz-hbi.de\/en\/hbi-publications\/freedom-of-expression-in-the-age-of-ai\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Freedom of Expression in the Age of AI\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In their article in the German journal \u201cK\u00fcnstliche Intelligenz und Recht (Artificial Intelligence and Law)\u201d 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. 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