Visual representations of AI in German print media coverage

Engaging with the ongoing debate regarding the portrayal of artificial intelligence (AI) in the public sphere – particularly the alleged predominance of sci-fi imagery and humanoid robots – the presentation examines how six German print media visualize articles related to AI. A mixed-methods approach combines qualitative and quantitative visual content analysis, analyzing 818 images from articles published in 2019 and 2022/23. The findings indicate that human figures, rather than robots, serve as dominant visual objects, and no significant image-to-text gaps were observed. Overall, German print media appear to present a nuanced perspective on AI, balancing opportunities and risks associated with this technology.