“We continue to live in difficult times, times that urge us to take action”, Bavaria’s State Secretary of Digital Affairs, Judith Gerlach, observes in her DLD Munich 2022 welcome address.
The coronavirus pandemic may have ebbed, she says, but new challenges – such as “Putin’s war on Ukraine, climate change, the energy crisis” – had taken its place.
“I can understand all who just want to close their eyes. Those who want to go back to a supposedly simpler to a better world”, Gerlach notes. “But only looking into the past has never helped. We need new technologies to solve humankind’s biggest challenges.”
These opportunities need to be accompanied by “a new digital policy”, she argues – “one that relates to our values, but also recognizes the potential of tech innovation.” In the best case, this would result in “doing something good” while also creating “huge economic success”.
She also calls for vigilance against hatred, filter bubbles and fake news and advocates the creation of a fair and pluralistic digital world.
“Social and fair, this must be the principles for our new digital age”, Gerlach emphasizes. “Tech for Good should always be our North Star.”
