Kolloquium mit Emanuel Deutschmann am 15.07.2026, 18:00 Uhr, FG1/00.08

Abstract: At first glance, progress in artificial intelligence, waves of infection, and the climate crisis may seem to have little to do with each other, but they are interrelated and follow the same basic pattern: an exponential curve. Initially, exponential developments can seem harmless, but then the curve suddenly starts to move almost vertically, which can trigger severe crises (from soaring inequality to ecological degradation to public health issues). Empirical analyses of more than 80 trends demonstrate that this rapid dynamic has been reached in an astonishing range of areas. In this situation, heated societal debates arise around the question of how to break harmful exponential growth and flatten curves at sustainable levels. Stabilization is becoming a key problem of our times. New conflicts emerge, where stabilizationists campaign for appropriate measures, while expansionists push for continued growth. This talk presents these ideas from the book (Suhrkamp, 2025) and also contrasts them with other sociological diagnoses like risk society (Beck), acceleration (Rosa), and the society of singularities (Reckwitz).