Democracy is more than a political system – it is a dynamic process of participation, dialogue, knowledge creation, and collective innovation. Its resilience depends on the ability of societies to connect diverse perspectives, foster trust, and translate knowledge into healthy action. Universities play a pivotal role in this process through their “Third Mission” and organisational “Third Space” arrangements, bringing together academia, industry, government, and civil society to address increasingly complex societal challenges.
As “artificial intelligence” (AI) is becoming an integral part of knowledge creation, collaboration, and decision-making, we propose the concept of an “AI-mediated Third Space“. Rather than viewing AI solely as a technological tool, this concept positions AI as an enabler of interdisciplinary collaboration, knowledge co-creation, and societal engagement. At the same time, it emphasises the importance of transparency, accountability, human oversight, and ethical governance to ensure that AI enhances – rather than undermines – democratic values, trust, and inclusive innovation (cf., Poecher, B.; Campbell, D.F.J.; Carayannis, E.G.: “Innovation and entrepreneurship in organizational university “Third Space” arrangements: Third Space and third mission in mode 3 universities”, Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Springer Nature 2025).
As AI continues to reshape higher education and innovation ecosystems, the challenge is not only to develop new technologies but also to create institutional environments where human and artificial intelligence complement one another in support of healthy innovation, democratic resilience, and sustainable global development.
Realising an AI-mediated Third Space requires new institutional arrangements that go beyond individual organisations. These arrangements should connect universities, governments, civil society, businesses, and international organisations in transparent and accountable deliberative networks. AI can support multilingual communication, help integrate evidence, and facilitate collective learning. Human actors, however, remain responsible for democratic deliberation and decision-making.
I strongly believe such platforms are best organised with global democracy, since AI is a “global technology“. Existing multilateral institutions, including ongoing efforts like the the “UN 2.0” initiative from the “United Nations” towards a more networked and digitally enabled organisation, are first steps toward what we envision with a “Global Democratic Republic” – an organisation to develop, manage, and be powered by the “AI-mediated Third Space.”
This can provide a democratically legitimised, inclusive, and evidence-informed healthy global governance for AI.
As an illustrative example, the “Internet Governance Forum” (IGF) provides a UN-supported multi-stakeholder platform for global dialogue. It brings together governments, civil society, the private sector, and the technical community.
An “AI-mediated Third Space” could build on this model by extending deliberative practices beyond internet governance. This would include AI-supported multilingual communication, structured use of evidence, and more continuous dialogue across a broader range of global challenges, best organised within global direct democratic decision processes (e.g., global referenda powered by e-voting & AI-integration for prudent decision making).
picture shows photo from drawing by (c) 2012 Artémis Athénaïs: blue one;
photo (c) 2012 Karl Baumann – shot with SAMSUNG NX20 camera in Stuttgart.
our research focus:
focus one
The new healthy global society
focus two
The new healthy global economy
focus three
Global democracy & healthy technology
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