Our service will be continuously expanded and improved in terms of content and functionality. The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) systems based on Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) is essential to provide contemporary and flexible online services and information in understandable, cross-media formats with up-to-date data. Hereinafter, all of these will be referred to collectively as ‘AI’.
Below, you will find information on where and for what purposes we use our own AI systems or external AI services to further develop our online services, provide content, and offer user functions. This includes the research, collection, analysis, synthesis, compilation, and preparation of data and information that we make available to our users. It also includes the processing of data users actively provide when accessing the online service or which is collected during registration and ongoing use of our service.
Further information on data protection when using our online services can be found in our Privacy Policy.
1. AI-generated content
The content accessible on this service (including its web pages, texts and documents, sounds, graphics, images, videos, layout) may have been partially or entirely processed, modified or created using Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems based on machine learning (ML) and data processing with so-called neural networks.
2. AI-processed data and text
Information, numerical data, and text from websites, research papers, media reports, etc. may have been processed by AI. This may include data search and collection, evaluation and analysis, extraction of citations and summaries, translation or transcription of information using machine learning models and probabilistic software systems. AI may also be used to manipulate the tone and format of expressions in text and speech.
In general, the goal of this use of AI is to generate and deliver affordable, high-quality content and information across multiple communication channels to diverse audiences with varying interest and different levels of education. AI helps to do this in a fast, flexible and cost-effective way beyond what would be currently possible without it.
3. AI-generated visuals and audio
Charts, graphical descriptions, illustrative images, photographs, sound, speech, 2D or 3D animations, and video sequences may have been enhanced, modified, or created entirely by AI. This includes images and video of people, which may or may not represent real people. Similarly, human speech in audio data may have been modified or created entirely synthetically by AI.
4. Use of real people’s images and voices
Images, audio and video of real people, especially celebrities and public figures, will always be used and published in accordance with applicable privacy laws. Voice data and realistic images of individuals will only be used with their explicit consent or within the general usage rights granted by law (e.g., publications, press releases, personal interviews, advertising, etc.).
When such material is used to document events, factual information and real-world scenarios, it may be manipulated only in technical parameters necessary for error-free and secure access (e.g., denoising, contrast adjustment, cropping). These adjustments may or may not be made using AI.
Where possible and appropriate, or where required by law, we will store and identify the names of people depicted in images, videos or audio recordings, together with the date and place of the recording. However, the absence of such information does not automatically imply that the content is artificial or generated by AI.
Users of our service may upload or otherwise provide images of themselves or others and audio data containing their own voice or the voice of others to our online service. In such cases, the user must be aware that such images/audio data may be processed by AI and stored on our own or third party servers.
Users who provide images of other people in the form of photos, illustrations or videos, with or without audio data or recorded speech of these people, must always make sure that they are allowed to do so in accordance with all personal rights of the respective persons. In case of doubt, users uploading such data to our online service must first obtain the explicit permission of the persons concerned.Liability for the uploading, provision and use of personal image and voice data via our online service shall lie solely with the users who provide such data.
5. Labeling and reviewing of AI-generated content
Due to the growing volume of content on our platform, it may not always be possible to determine with reasonable effort whether an image of a person shows a real person or whether an audio track containing speech is actually spoken by a known person or even a human being. For more certainty, we will label artificially created images or speech as such where necessary and possible, in accordance with the applicable laws of the European Union and the Federal Republic of Germany.
We will never knowingly use images or videos created by deepfake algorithms or similar technologies that imitate or falsify a person’s appearance, movements, speech patterns, or statements.
Accordingly, our users are not permitted to use our Online Service to distribute images, audio, or video, whether generated by AI or otherwise, that depict, imitate, or suggest the appearance, speech, or actions of real, existing persons without the proven consent of such persons. In addition, users who upload or otherwise distribute images, videos, or audio recordings of other people through our service are obliged to ensure that they do not post illegal content that violates the personal rights or copyrights of such individuals or third parties.
6. Third-party content processed or generated by AI
The statements above apply to data, information, images, video and sound that we create and publish ourselves, including content produced by colleagues, associates, affiliates and contractors. However, our services may also provide access to content and materials created, produced, published or licensed by third parties, such as embedded links or direct displays of social media content or YouTube videos. In most cases, we do not have control over such third-party content. Generally, we also do not have reliable information as to whether such third-party content has been created using text, images, sound, or video that has been altered or synthetically generated by AI.
Therefore, we cannot and do not accept any responsibility for third-party content accessible through our services in this regard. Except as otherwise required by law, compliance with responsible and legal use of AI is solely the responsibility of the providers and producers of such third-party content.
7. Use of external AI and cloud services
Some content on our services may be created, generated, processed or modified by external AI services provided by third parties. When we use such content, we ensure that it complies with all applicable mandatory licenses, rights of use, and copyrights under the relevant laws applicable at the place of production or publication. We may also provide and support certain functional areas of our online services using external AI services. This may include areas such as database search, text transcription and translation, data research and analysis, web and knowledge base research, etc.
However, for practical reasons, and except in cases involving the depiction of real people as mentioned above, we may not explicitly mark content derived from external AI services as such or name the specific AI service used to process our content.
Currently, we may use AI models and cloud computing services as well as data and network technologies from the providers listed below (European/German branches are mentioned where applicable). The use of such services is currently limited, usually temporary and may only occur at irregular intervals. So far, we use such external AI services primarily to optimize our content and to further develop our own online service.
ChatGPT, API – OpenAI, L.L.C.
Contact: support@openai.com, Web: https://openai.com
Privacy policy: https://openai.com/policies/privacy-policy
Google Gemini, Vertex AI, Cognitive Cloud Services API – Google Ireland Limited
Contact: support-de@google.com, Web: https://cloud.google.com
Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy
Firefly Generative AI – Adobe Systems Software Ireland Ltd.
Contact: contact@adobe.com, Web https://www.adobe.com
Privacy policy: https://www.adobe.com/privacy/policy.html
Microsoft Azure Cognitive Services / OpenAI Service API – Microsoft Ireland Operations Limited
Contact: support@microsoft.com, Web: https://azure.microsoft.com
Privacy policy: https://privacy.microsoft.com/en-us/privacystatement
Claude AI, API – Anthropic PBC
Contact: support@anthropic.com, Web: https://www.anthropic.com
Privacy policy: https://www.anthropic.com/legal/privacy
Perplexity AI, API – Perplexity AI, Inc.
Contact: hello@perplexity.ai, Web: https://www.perplexity.ai
Privacy policy: https://www.perplexity.ai/privacy
AWS SageMaker, LlaMA AI API Services – Amazon Web Services, Inc.
Contact: aws-privacy@amazon.com, Webseite: https://aws.amazon.com
Privacy policy: https://aws.amazon.com/privacy
Meta AI, AI Studio, LLaMA API – Meta Platforms Ireland Limited
Contact: support@meta.com, Web: https://ai.meta.com
Privacy policy: https://privacycenter.instagram.com/policy
This list of providers is subject to change and is not intended to be exhaustive. We also reserve the unrestricted right to decide whether, to what extent, when and how long we operate our Site with external AI services and various AI models from the listed providers. We also reserve the right to decide whether or not to make such services available to our users.
Some of the AI services listed above may not be currently available or only partially available to end users and/or website operators in Germany or the European Union. We will only deploy such services as soon as they are officially available and permitted for use in compliance with the legal requirements relevant to our online services without incurring excessive functional limitations.
Last modified: 2024-12-25