Project at HIAS
AI-Generated Disinformation: The Impact of Fake Images, Videos, and Voice Imitations on Protecting Personality Rights and Safeguarding Democratic Processes
Nadine Klass’ HIAS project examines the growing legal and societal challenges posed by AI-generated synthetic media – such as deepfakes and voice cloning – in the context of disinformation. These technologies enable the creation of hyper-realistic but fabricated content that can manipulate public opinion and infringe upon individual rights. The research focuses on key personality rights, including the right to one’s image and self-representation, which are increasingly at risk. It also addresses broader threats to democratic integrity, such as risks to elections, political discourse, and the public sphere. Using an interdisciplinary and comparative legal approach, the project integrates civil and constitutional law with insights from communication, media, and social sciences. It aims to evaluate existing legal protections and develop coherent regulatory and normative strategies to counter AI-driven disinformation and strengthen both democratic resilience and individual autonomy in a digital era.
Her Tandem Partners are Michael Grünberger, Professor of Private Law and Responsive Jurisprudence and President of the Bucerius Law School, Judith Möller, Scientific Director of the Leibniz Institute for Media Research, Hans-Bredow-Institut, and Professor of Empirical Communication Research, especially Media Use and Social Media Effects, at the University of Hamburg.
Website
Nadine Klass
Funding
The HIAS Fellowship is provided by the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and the federal and state funds acquired by the University of Hamburg in the framework of its Excellence Strategy.
Tandems
Prof. Dr. Michael Grünberger, President, Bucerius Law School
Prof. Dr. Judith Möller, Scientific Director, Leibniz Institute for Media Research, Hans-Bredow-Institut, and Empirical Communication Research, University of Hamburg
Biography
Nadine Klass holds the Chair of Civil Law, Intellectual Property Law, and Copyright Law at the University of Augsburg. Her research focuses on copyright, media law, and personality rights. She is also Co-Director of the Institute for Copyright and Media Law (IUM) in Munich and serves as Co-Editor and Managing Editor of the legal journals ZUM, ZUM-RD, and UFITA. In addition, she is a member of the academic advisory boards of the Mainz Media Institute and the Institute for Media and Communications Law (IMKR) at the University of Siegen. In 2023, she was a member of the Council for the Future Development of Public Service Broadcasting (Zukunftsrat der Länder). From 2017 to 2025, she held the Chair for Civil Law, Intellectual Property Law, Media Law, and Civil Procedure Law at the University of Mannheim, and from 2021 to 2023, she was Vice Dean and Dean of the Faculty of Law and Economics at the University of Mannheim. Previously, she held research and teaching positions at the University of Siegen, LMU Munich and the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition.
Nadine Klass’ research focuses on copyright and media law, particularly the interplay between civil and constitutional law, with an emphasis on balancing personality rights, freedom of expression, and artistic freedom. Her work is shaped by ongoing developments in the media landscape and adopts interdisciplinary perspectives, drawing on communication and media studies, sociology, and empirical research. Currently, she examines the transformative impact and legal implications of artificial intelligence in the media sector.
Klass’ HIAS Fellowship is provided by the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and the federal and state funds acquired by the University of Hamburg in the framework of its Excellence Strategy.
Image Information
Image generated with Sora (OpenAI) by Novamondo, Berlin