People over Pixels

Digitization – Are there really no boundaries? This is a highly topical question that was raised by Economics Minister Brigitte Zypries in her remarks to entrepreneurs, consultants and scientists at the kickoff of the CeBIT computer trade show . It was precisely at this show where the Ministry presented the white paper on digital platforms, which called for new rules of the game with respect to the networked world. Minister Zypries is convinced that we need digitization that is “Made in Europe” – that associates the continent with the demand that the values of the analog world must continue to be valid for the digital world.

At last, she is no longer alone in this belief: This year saw an increased tendency to bring ethical debate into the world of technological experience. This is about data protection and self-determination regarding one’s own information, but it is also about the workplace of the future: To what extent may/can/should our work environment be characterized by digital possibilities? One thing is clear: Humaneness -the cultivation of human values- is becoming ever more important in digital transformation.