Culture as Counterforce in a Polarised World

“Technology is not just a tool – it makes our world.”

 — Kathrin Maurer, DIAS Chair of Humanities and head of Center for Culture and Technology, SDU.

In CULTURE CONNECTS – conversation starters about culture, an interview series by the Danish Cultural Institute, Kathrin Maurer invites us to pause and reconsider the role of culture in an increasingly polarised world.

From rigid decision-making to the erosion of liberal values, she sees culture as a vital counterforce, one that opens space for ambiguity, reflection, and slow thinking. Professor Maurer argues that culture is not merely a mirror of society, but a dynamic practice that challenges our comfort zones and disrupts algorithmic echo chambers. Drawing on examples from literature, art, and technology, she reflects on culture as a process of cultivating meaning in a rapidly changing world.

What if culture isn’t just around technology - but inside it? 

For Kathrin Maurer, culture is not something we simply consume, it’s something we actively cultivate. Shaped by history, context, and power, culture influences how we design technologies and how those technologies, in turn, shape us. It is embedded in everything from literature to artificial intelligence.  

Kathrin Maurer’s research sheds light on the fact that tools like AI and facial recognition systems often carry the assumptions and blind spots of their creators, underscoring the need for cultural awareness as a foundation for building fairer, more inclusive futures. This conversation is a compelling reminder that to navigate today’s challenges, we must think critically, creatively, and collectively. 

© Video by the Danish Cultural Institute, produced by Rasmus Romulus Palludan.