The Council for Digital Ethics of the German federal state of Hesse– which, in addition to Harald A. Summa, includes 24 other high-ranking thinkers – is a strategic advisory and reflective body for current digitalisation projects in the federal state of Hesse. It also focuses on societal challenges of digital transformation in order to reflect on and evaluate the impact of new technologies and applications on people from the word go.

The Council for Digital Ethics meets in private sessions twice a year. At each of its meetings, members address a focus topic of their choosing. Aside from a contribution from a Council member, an external expert is also invited to provide inspirational input. The Council for Digital Ethics regularly presents its food-for-thought papers to the members of the Hessian Parliament and the public.

In 2020, the Council published its thesis paper, “Trust in AI”, in which it explores solutions to many societal challenges such as climate change, medical treatments, traffic flows and more. Council members caution that the potential of AI solutions can only unfold if people have confidence in their development and use.