In a recent interview for the SPD Augsburg's magazine "direkt," Shota shared his insights on the core requirements for democracy in our digital age and the potential threats it faces. His work at the University of Mannheim has centered on the effects of social media on political polarization in countries like Germany, the USA, and Georgia. Currently, as a fellow at THE NEW INSTITUTE working with Hartmut Wessler, he's exploring how democratic listening and artificial intelligence can help depolarize public debates.

In the interview, Shota points out the importance of user engagement in shaping Web 2.0, which remains user-driven despite advancements in AI and machine learning. He raises a key concern: the erosion of trust caused by an abundance of unverified information online, making it complicated to separate truth from misinformation. Combined with the flux of entertainment and information, this lack of trust carries risks of facilitating political apathy.

Shota also discusses the impact of digital transformation on democracy, cautioning against the model of direct online democracy. He highlights the risk of excluding people with lower socioeconomic status or those who aren't technophiles, suggesting that such a model could be disastrous. Instead, he recognizes the positive role of social media in driving civic engagement and influencing political processes, particularly in the U.S., but also in the Georgian context, where social media counterweights the polarized traditional media.

The interview covers the challenges and opportunities presented by online platforms and participatory tools in strengthening democratic practices. While these platforms open up new avenues for civic participation, their primary goal of generating profit often undermines their democratic potential. Shota calls for inclusive digital engagement strategies that cover all demographic groups and stresses the importance of political actors working together to use these digital tools effectively.