In the 258-page manifesto released by the AfD this year lies an unusual vision of artificial intelligence. The far-right party argues that they will embrace the technology and broadly adopt the technology. One of the main motivations they list? Replacing migrants.
The AfD may see this as killing two birds with one stone: embracing AI can make Germany more competitive on the global stage of technology while providing a road to greatly reduce unwanted migration. Experts, however, are much more skeptical about the idea — they note, for instance, that many migrants are employed in service industries, which have thus far proven difficult to replace.
But even if the AfD’s view on AI is just political bluster, the party’s focus on the technology gets one thing right: AI is shaping life for migrants in dramatic ways, and it may continue to do so in unexpected ways. For instance, language barriers, which for a long time have been obstacles to integration and upward mobility for migrants, are greatly reduced by developing AI technologies. Navigating traditionally obscure and difficult government documents may similarly prove significantly easier.
I propose reporting this story through interviews with staff and clients at the ReDI School of Digital Integration in Berlin, a non-profit that has focused on teaching migrants and refugees important digital skills for their new lives. The unique mission of this school promises an interesting lens through which to tell a complex story. Since an initial wave of coverage at their founding a decade ago, there’s been little to no attention in the English-language media, which leaves important questions unanswered. How is AI changing how ReDI teaches skills to migrants? Are the skills being taught changing? And is AI actually making life easier for migrants, or is it complicating their experiences in unforeseen ways?
To my knowledge, no outlet has yet covered this unfolding story of migration and AI in Germany. The reporting on the AfD’s manifesto has focused largely on its social and political vision for Germany, with little attention to the technological implications. Those who have reported on the connections between the AfD and AI have written primarily on how deepfakes and other technologies were used in elections. And the existing work on the role AI plays in migration has been about the way it factors into decisions about whether to let migrants into the country — little work has been done on what happens to the migrants already living in Germany.
I see several other paths, should my story about ReDI not work out. I plan to interview union leaders for their thoughts on the AfD’s proposal — what do they think are the ramifications of such policy, and how do they feel about it? Young migrants are also an interesting population — is AI changing what kind of jobs they feel confident in? Regardless of the eventual angle, I think that the way AI is shaping life for migrants in Germany is an important one that is yet to be told.
