Parliamentary Evening (2022)

On 11 May 2022, the German Ethics Council invited the members of the German Bundestag to its 10th Parliamentary Evening. Following the welcoming address by Chair Alena Buyx and an opening message from Bundestag President Bärbel Bas, Council member Sigrid Graumann introduced the Council Opinion “Vulnerability and Resilience in a Crisis – Ethical Criteria for Decision-Making in a Pandemic” published in April 2022. Council members and members of the German Bundestag then discussed, among other things, how to retrospectively assess the political and institutional response to the pandemic and what could be learned from it for future crises. Particular attention was paid to the degree of interference with personal liberties, the effects of protection measures on mental and physical health, and the ethical principles that should guide state action.

Council member Judith Simon reported on the progress of the Council’s work on the topic of “Humans and Machines”. The ensuing discussion focused in particular on the possibilities of using artificial intelligence in different contexts and the feasibility of regulating artificial intelligence, e.g. considering the debate on discrimination through technical systems.

Furthermore, the forthcoming new regulation of suicide assistance was discussed, an issue on which the Ethics Council is currently preparing an Opinion. It adresses the dynamics and diversity of death and suicide wishes, the criteria of free responsibility of corresponding decisions, as well as the responsibilities in the context of suicide prevention.

Finally, the members of the Bundestag made suggestions and expressed their wishes for topics to be addressed by the Ethics Council in the future.

Please switch to the German version of this website to see the programme.