Book Launch "Memokratie" by Wolfgang Ullrich

Aggressive internet humour, deepfakes and AI-generated images have long been more than just pop culture gimmicks: they are deliberately used as instruments of power on official accounts. Memes create enemy stereotypes, gauge moods on topics and narratives, and often appear harmless, while further polarising democratic debates.

In his new book, cultural theorist Wolfgang Ullrich describes this development as ‘memocracy’: a new, illiberal form of government in which power arises primarily where platforms are dominated or even owned. In conversation with Titus Blome Ullrich explains why democratic actors find it so difficult to counteract the uninhibited use of images and what strategies are possible in the digital space.

The event will be held in German.